Fifty Shades of Lucissa
by theslytherinrose
Summary: A collection of one-shots for the HPFC "Fifty Shades of..." Challenge starring Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. [Now rated M for sexual content.]
1. There isn't a rule I wouldn't break

**A/N: This will be a collection of Lucissa one-shots for the "Fifty Shades of..." challenge by DobbyRocksSocks on the HPFC forum. My goal is to keep everything within the universe I typically write in (as long as I don't somehow run out of scenes before I get to fifty, but I doubt that will happen... hopefully not), so there will be references to non-canon events including (but not limited to) Prefect/Head(Boy/Girl)!Lucissa, miscarriages, a period of separation during which Narcissa dated Augustus Rookwood, and appearances by non-canon family members. With that said, the first one-shot is intentionally very fluffy (with suggestive content but no explicit smut). It's set during Narcissa's last year at Hogwarts, after Lucius has graduated. Please let me know what you think, and I intend to keep going with this challenge as I work on my other fics.**

* * *

 _ **1\. "There isn't a rule I wouldn't break, for you."**_

Sneaking into the castle had taken a bit of doing, but Lucius had managed. He'd snuck into the dungeon and thanked the higher powers when he'd found Narcissa sitting alone in the Common Room. He'd feared that someone else would be around—Travers, perhaps, or one of the younger Prefects who would be more likely to turn him in. Narcissa was Head Girl, so Lucius didn't anticipate any backlash from her, but the students whom he'd spent little to no time with while in school would've been a different story.

As he stood in the doorway, he saw in her posture and bearing how unhappy she was, and it pained him. She sat on one of the black leather sofas with a book turned over her knee, staring into the fireplace with an expression that told him she would've rather been somewhere far away. She'd told him in her letters and the few times he'd been able to see her since her return to Hogwarts for her final year how lonely it was in comparison to the one before, now that the majority of her friends had graduated.

He wasn't going to let her stay this way for long. She needed to be happy.

He crept up quietly behind her, making sure neither his feet nor the bag he carried made noise, and leaned in close to lay his hands gently over her eyes, leaning over the sofa slightly for a better view of her face.

Narcissa squeaked in fright and surprise at the touch, her panic leading her to knock her book to the floor. A moment later, she appeared to recognize his hands, as she let out a sigh, a smile spreading over her lips.

"Hey, you," she said.

Lucius smiled, leaning down to wrap his arms around her from behind and kiss her cheek. "Hey yourself."

Narcissa leaned back into his arms, closing her eyes as she smiled. "I've missed you."

Lucius kissed Narcissa's cheek once more before burying his face in her neck, savoring the feeling of holding her after weeks of separation. "I've missed you, too," he muttered. "So much."

Narcissa turned her head to kiss Lucius's cheek. "Come here, darling. Come sit by me."

She needn't ask twice. Lucius moved around to the other side of the couch, keeping his hand on her shoulder all the while, and sat down beside her to pull her into his arms. She snuggled against him, shifting her feet up to sit beside her as she leaned on his chest, hands clutching his shirt.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." Lucius leaned down to kiss Narcissa's hair as his hand rubbed her back gently.

She shook her head. "No, don't apologize. You shouldn't be here at all, and I'm so happy that you are. Seeing you makes me smile like nothing else does."

Lucius stared down at her, taking a moment to process just how very blessed he felt to have her in his arms. He absolutely hated that he hadn't been able see her as often as he wanted to, now that he was out of school and training hard with the Death Eaters, and he made a mental vow to find a way to spend more time with her, no matter what it cost him. His father's sense of propriety, what Pureblood society would say if it saw him now, and the Dark Lord's insistence on monopolizing his time weren't what Lucius cared about, at the moment. What he cared about was Narcissa.

"I love to see you smile," he told her softly.

She leaned up to kiss his neck. "I just love to see you." She grinned and ran her fingers through his hair. He returned her grin, one hand tracing her jaw gently and then lifting her chin.

"Come here, my beautiful." He leaned down to kiss her softly, his thumb brushing over her cheek. She returned the kiss lovingly, her hands rubbing his chest. He enjoyed the taste and touch of her lips for several moments longer, and when he pulled back at length, he smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I never tire of your kiss," he said.

"Then come back here." Narcissa smiled and leaned forward to meet his lips again, her hand slipping into his hair. Lucius traced her side with his fingertips, bringing his hand to rest on her waist as he kissed her deeply, passionately, his hunger for her working its way to the surface despite his efforts to keep it at bay. He squeezed her waist, his other hand moving down to the small of her back to pull her flush against him.

Narcissa moved closer, her breasts meeting Lucius's chest through their clothing she gripped his shoulder. He groaned softly, enjoying the feeling of her chest pressed to his as his hand traced her back, drawing light patterns. She gave his hair a light pull, and he smirked against her lips as one of his hands slipped down to rest on her rear.

Narcissa let out a small moan into his mouth, her hips pressing toward him.

Lucius's heart pounded as he resisted the urge to squeeze her rear, if just barely. He forced himself to calm down, kissing her deeply for several moments more before pulling his lips back to a centimeter from hers, his breath heavy.

Narcissa nuzzled his cheek. "I missed you..."

"I missed you, too, Cissy," said Lucius, his hand tracing slowly up her back and running down again through her hair. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Mm... You know, you're probably right... We shouldn't make love in the Common Room." She kissed his nose. "How long can you stay?"

He laughed softly. "As long as you'll have me. All night, if you like."

"Promise?" she leaned back to look into his eyes, smiling.

"I promise." He slipped his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his lips. "There isn't a rule I wouldn't break, for you."

Still smiling brightly, Narcissa laid her head against his shoulder. "Lucius, I love you so much."

He smiled, holding their clasped hands against his chest and leaning down to kiss her hair. "I love you more than anything, Cissy. Gods, just being near you is like being brought back to life."

He watched as the color rose in her cheeks.

"You're too good to me. How can you say such sweet things?"

"Because they're true, _ma petite._ "

Narcissa's cheeks reddened further, and she kissed his shoulder. "Thank you, darling. But am I really that small?"

"Yes, but please don't let it bother you. I very much like your size." He brought her hand to his lips again, kissing her fingers. Roughly seven inches separated them in height, which, combined with Narcissa's thin frame, made her rather easy to lift. She raised her head to smile at him.

"Do you?" she asked. "I can't reach the cabinets in the kitchens at the Manor, you know."

"Well, there are a few solutions to that. Elves, first of all. Or I can reach them for you or put you on my shoulders and hold you up. It'll give us another excuse to be this close." Lucius grinned.

"I'll take any excuse to be close to you." She kissed his forehead, smiling. "And just so you know, I very much like your size, as well." Her blush deepened, and she half-suppressed a giggle.

Lucius chuckled, running his fingers through Narcissa's blond hair. "Why thank you. What's your schedule like, tomorrow?"

"I've a few classes, but not much overall. Why?"

"I'd like to spend the day with you, or at least as much as we can. I won't get in the way of your classes, but if you want to come back between them and go running about or take a nap or anything your heart desires, I'll be here, if that's all right with you." He'd already lied to his father, telling Abraxas he was staying with Macnair and telling Macnair and his other friends that he'd been confined to Malfoy Manor for a few days. As long as he didn't allow himself to be noticed by the Hogwarts staff or exposed by Narcissa's dorm mates, Lucius believed he could get away with staying.

Narcissa leaned in to kiss him softly. "That sounds absolutely perfect. And what my heart desires is you, my love."

"I feel precisely the same about you. Is there anything else you want to accomplish tonight?"

She shook her head, smiling. "Want to go to bed?"

Lucius smirked. "Anytime, my beautiful. Absolutely." Supporting her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, he stood, reaching down to pick up her book from the floor before starting toward the girls' dormitories.


	2. You should give her more credit, Cygnus

**A/N: In this segment, Lucius attends supper with the Black family shortly after Narcissa's graduation from Hogwarts. [Warning: non-explicit references to unspecified parental violence.]  
**

* * *

 _ **2\. "You should give her more credit, Cygnus."**_

As he took a bite of the pasta the Blacks' elf had prepared, Lucius couldn't escape the notion that this was the most awkward he'd ever felt at a meal. Cygnus Black had quite the commanding presence, with his dark hair and perpetual frown, and his wife Druella resembled her youngest daughter somewhat in looks, though her face held a cold calculation that would have been severely out of place on the young woman who sat beside Lucius, staring pointedly at her plate.

He'd never seen Narcissa this quiet. She was always so open about her opinions and confident in her words, but in the presence of her parents, Lucius barely recognized her.

"We were very pleased to hear that our daughter had caught the attention of someone from a family as respectable as your own," said Cygnus, raising his glass in the direction of Lucius, who lifted his own, though his mouth twisted distastefully.

"Thank you, Mr. Black, but your daughter has done more than catch my attention." He took a sip from his drink, watching Cygnus over the edge of the glass as the elder man did the same, and then he replaced the glass on the table. "I care about her a great deal."

The stony silence that followed his words suggested that he had been right not to use the word _love_ in front of Cygnus and Druella. Lucius wasn't certain the two of them understood what the word meant.

"Yes, well," said Cygnus, taking a bite of his food. "I must say, your academic successes have been rather impressive, in addition to your social standing. We'd hoped Narcissa would help our family forge a decent alliance."

"What about her academic successes?"

At this, Narcissa looked up from her plate, raising a brow as she looked to Lucius with an expression that begged him to stop trying. He, however, couldn't stand the way Cygnus discussed his daughter as though she weren't sitting at the same table, hearing every belittling remark.

"Narcissa's N.E.W.T.s were fantastic," said Lucius, raising his glass this time in the direction of his girlfriend. She fidgeted slightly in her chair and twisted her pasta around her fork, her cheeks turning pink. "You should give her more credit, Cygnus." Lucius fought the urge to smirk. He knew his father would lose his mind, if he knew the Malfoy heir had spoken so to the head of another prominent Pureblood family, but Lucius was feeling just spiteful enough not to care.

"We're very proud," said Druella dryly.

The elf scurried into the room, making rounds with a large, silver pitcher to refill everyone's drinks. The little creature was trembling, Lucius realized as it paused beside him and reached for his glass. Apparently, the Blacks had a similar effect on everyone who entered their presence.

Lucius jumped as a wave of wine sloshed over the rim of the pitcher and doused the leg of his trousers. The elf squeaked in fright and immediately began a chorus of apologies, and Cygnus raised his wand.

To Lucius's right, Narcissa drew back in her chair.

"Out! Filthy creature!" Cygnus boomed, and as he flicked his wrist, a jet of red light ripped through the air, and the elf cried out in pain. It rushed out of the dining room.

"Our sincerest apologies, Lucius," said Druella. "Narcissa, help him, please."

Lucius received the distinct impression that the final word had been a strain on Druella, but he said nothing, following Narcissa silently out of the dining room and into the corridor outside. She produced her wand when they stopped walking several yards from the door that led to her parents, and she began muttering spells to remove the wine. Lucius shook his head, frowning as he reached out to gently grab her wrist and still her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You're very clearly not yourself."

Narcissa shrugged, and Lucius lifted a brow, hoping to convey his unwillingness to drop the matter.

"You know how they are," said Narcissa with a sigh. "Every little word means something. Every bit of praise they give you is designed to make me feel worse."

"I know." Lucius had observed this about Cygnus and Druella many times before, though it was much more apparent now that he was in their home. "But it's more than that. When your father went for his wand, you… Cissy, what aren't you telling me?"

She held his gaze for a long moment, and he understood. There was pain in her blue eyes, as hard as she appeared to be trying to conceal it.

"I want to know everything."

"Not now."

"Fine, but soon."

"Okay." Narcissa stretched up to meet Lucius's lips momentarily, and then she pulled back. Before she could move far, he drew her into his arms, holding her close as he spoke into her ear.

"We're going to find a way to get you over to the Manor a lot more, this summer. I don't want to leave you alone with them more than necessary."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He leaned back to kiss her cheek, trying to smile at her. "Come on, let's get this over with. But just remember that they're full of it and try to ignore them, if you can."

"I'll do my best."


	3. I need you

**A/N: WARNING. This one-shot contains explicit sexual content. There is smut ahead. I finally broke down and decided that Narcissa and Lucius deserved more of these scenes with one another. If smut is not your cup of tea, I promise that one-shot number four (which should be posted tomorrow) will not contain any. It will likely be more angsty.**

* * *

 _ **3\. "I need you."**_

Narcissa let out a low stream of moans, her hands twisting tightly into Lucius's hair as his mouth covered the bare skin of her breasts in kisses and bites too soft to hurt her but just hard enough to drive her mad. Half an hour ago, she'd been anxious about deceiving her parents—she was supposed to be staying with her friend Lenore for the weekend, not staying at Malfoy Manor unsupervised while the rest of Lucius's family was out of town—and uncertain as to whether she should really be doing so. But since she'd arrived and had entered his presence, he'd banished her fears and eased her mind, and he'd carried her upstairs to deposit her belongings. _"Our room,"_ he'd called the place he'd taken her, and now she felt elated and safe and _loved_ as her breathing grew steadily more ragged and her desire for him grew ever-stronger.

His hands ran along her waist, and when she trembled at his touch, he brought his hands slowly inward, rubbing lightly over her stomach and ribs. Her shirt and corset lay discarded on the floor somewhere—she hadn't been paying enough attention to know where he'd thrown them—and she'd managed to unbutton his shirt, as well, before she'd been thoroughly distracted by his lips and lost her focus.

Lucius began to kiss downward slowly, his lips trailing over Narcissa's stomach and pausing to allow him to trace her navel with his tongue.

Narcissa moaned sharply, her eyes rolling upward. Her heart hammered against her ribs as Lucius's hands worked her skirt from her hips and guided it down her legs, and he lifted his face to lean back enough to remove the garment entirely and toss it out of sight. Narcissa held her breath as she waited for him to return to her. She met his gaze momentarily as he leaned in close once again, and she felt a rush of heat through her stomach as she took in the desire burning in his grey eyes.

He claimed her mouth forcefully with his own as his hands caressed each of her curves, and she kissed him hungrily, her hands grabbing the sides of his face to keep it near her own as she shivered under his touch. Lucius traced Narcissa's lips with his tongue, and she groaned, her lips parting to allow him entry. His hands roamed her hips as his tongue explored her mouth, and then he slipped one hand between her legs, stroking her slowly through the lace of her undergarments. Her body twitched, aching for his touch and for it to reach deeper, and her tongue pushed back against his. Gods, she loved the way he tasted.

He shifted her undergarments slightly to the side to brush his fingers over her flesh, and she groaned, giving his hair a tug, which elicited a growl from him in reply. She tingled and ached with need at the touch of his fingers, and as he slipped one into her, she pulled her mouth back to gasp for air.

"Oh—Lucius," Narcissa panted.

Lucius chuckled darkly, beginning to pump his finger into her deeply.

Narcissa moaned, reaching up to grab his face and pull his lips back to hers and kiss him hard. He slipped a second finger into her core as his other hand rubbed her hip reverently before drifting up to her breast, and she made no attempt to stifle the lusty little noises erupting from her throat at his movements. She attempted to rock against his hand as she twisted her own into his hair once again to grip it hard, but she found herself unable to move far as his hand restrained her motion and his thumb pressed down on her clit.

He swallowed her moans, which increased in volume and frequency as the delicious heat within her lower half continued to build, her frustration at being held still tangled with her exhilaration and pleasure as he brought her closer to the edge. At last, Narcissa's control shattered with a sharp groan that would have been much louder had most of it not been lost around Lucius's tongue as pleasure flooded through her. She gave his hair an involuntary tug as her attempts to buck were abandoned, her chest heaving.

Lucius removed his fingers slowly, his lips caressing hers for several moments longer before he pulled back, she assumed, to let her breathe. Among the millions of reasons she had for loving him were these: he cared more about her pleasure than his own, and he'd never taken her before she was prepared. Narcissa looked up at him with a hazy smile, and he grinned, resting his forehead against hers.

"How're you feeling?" he muttered.

She reached up to pull his face down further and kiss him again in reply.

Supporting himself with his forearms on either side of her, Lucius lowered his body nearer to Narcissa's, letting his chest meet her breasts. She shivered as she felt the warmth of his skin against hers and the firmness of his muscles, and her hands fumbled his unbuttoned shirt to push it down off his shoulders. He shrugged out of the shirt and tossed it away, reaching with one of his hands to trace her side as the other held him up. She smiled into his lips, her hand brushing lightly down over his stomach and along the waistband of his trousers.

Lucius groaned softly into Narcissa's mouth, his hand moving up to caress and knead her breast. She let out a little pleased noise at his hand's work and slipped her own beneath his waistband to press against his length.

He groaned once again, bucking a bit into her hand. "Careful, now..."

"Why?" she breathed, her fingers stroking his hardness with practiced skill.

"You'll get me excited…"

"I already have, darling... I can feel it..." She rubbed him slowly, her mind clouded by thoughts of how hard he was and how very much she needed him in her.

He pressed his hips forward, grinding into her hand. "Mmh... I need you," he growled, squeezing her breast with one hand as the other unfastened his trousers.

"I know... Take me, Lucius. Let me make you feel good." Narcissa's voice was little more than a lusty whisper, and she didn't even attempt to hide the desire in her eyes as she watched him. She was certain that if she could see herself, her need would be as apparent as that which she saw so clearly in him.

" _Cissy_ ," Lucius growled, working off his undergarments and discarding them before nipping at her neck as he worked the lacy material down Narcissa's legs and tossed the last bit of her clothing aside.

"Take me," she insisted. "I need you."

He gripped her hip and pushed into her with a groan, pausing momentarily to let her adjust. Narcissa moaned in satisfaction, lifting her hips to take him deeper.

"Ohh—Yes!"

He began to rock into her slowly, his breath ragged against the skin of her throat. She ran her hands up his back, her eyes closed as she let out a stream of soft moans and held still to enjoy his movements and the kisses he had started to press against her neck.

" _Mmh_ — _move, Cissy,_ " he growled.

She shifted her hands to cling tightly to his shoulders and began to return his thrusts, and Lucius let out a rough moan, moving faster in in response.

" _Aahh_ —oh— oh, _yes,_ " Narcissa groaned, her hips grinding hard into his as she fought to keep his pace. Lucius held tight to her hip, rocking steadily, the nips he left along Narcissa's neck and the thrusting and pulsing of his hard cock enough to drive her mad. Narcissa lost track of how long she and Lucius moved together, her body humming with pleasure at the feeling of the man she loved filling and moving within her. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he drew in a sharp breath. She muttered an apology, but he shook his head, kissing the hollow of her throat.

At last, the heat within her became too strong to withstand, and she cried out, her body embracing him tightly as waves of pleasure rolled through her. She felt him catch his breath and felt how hard he struggled to continue moving to prolong her ecstasy, and after a few more thrusts, he groaned roughly as he came within her. She moaned as she felt him fill her, and he rested his head against her shoulder, each of them breathing heavily.

After a moment, Narcissa lifted a hand to trail her fingers through Lucius's hair, trembling through she was. "I love you," she breathed.

"I love you." He kissed her softly and slid out of her before dropping down beside her and pulling her into his arms. She cuddled against him and rested her head on his chest.

"This weekend is perfect already," she said, smiling.

He traced her back lightly with his fingertips. "That's because you're here."

"With you."

Lucius laughed softly. "I'm so glad you came over. We don't get enough time alone, I don't think." He brushed his hand over her cheek.

Narcissa smiled, leaning toward his hand. "I think you're right. I wish I could be with you all the time."

* * *

She had no idea that at that very moment, in a small box hidden at the back of his dresser across the room, there rested a ring he planned to give her before the night ended.


	4. You don't need to meet him

**A/N: I'm a little annoyed that my wifi disappeared last night and kept me from updating, so I may put up #5 today, too. Thank you guys so much for your kind reviews.  
**

* * *

 _ **4\. "You don't need to meet him."**_

"And you're really certain that they don't mind my being here?" Narcissa knew that she was likely driving Lucius mad with her questioning, but she had to be sure. She couldn't handle the idea of agitating his parents and ruining the one shot she had at decent parental relationships by overstaying her welcome. Abraxas wasn't the warmest of people by any means, but he had never been rude to her, and Seraphina treated Narcissa with more kindness than her own mother had ever come close to exhibiting.

"They don't mind at all," said Lucius. "I promise. They quite like you, actually."

He walked beside her through the corridor on Malfoy Manor's ground floor, and she couldn't deny being captivated by the house's beauty as the late-morning light streamed in through the windows and illuminated the artworks and family portraits hanging along the walls. She paused beside a particular portrait featuring a very young Lucius, probably around seven years of age, standing between his parents with his chest pressed forward and his chin raised just a bit too high to look natural. Narcissa raised the hand Lucius wasn't holding to her mouth to hide her giggle.

"What? What're you—? Oh."

She glanced toward him again to find his face beginning to flush, and he gave her hand a light tug to start her walking once again. She laughed as they resumed their course.

"Don't worry, love. I thought it was adorable."

"Cissy, that's… not at all comforting. 'Adorable' isn't a word I strive for. But thank you anyway."

She shook her head with a smile. "Duly noted. Anyway, and if they ask, I arrived when?"

"Earlier this morning, but before they got home with Lara."

"Lara's going to see right through me, you know," said Narcissa. "She knows me a lot better than your parents do."

"We'll cross that bridge when necessary. I'll distract her while you talk to them, if I need to."

Narcissa grinned up at the man beside her. "You always have some sort of plan, don't you?"

"I'd have thought you'd figured that out, by now." Lucius smirked.

As the pair drifted farther down the corridor, Narcissa processed the sound of voices spilling from a room ahead and to their right. The lounge, if she remembered properly where everything was located. She strained her ears in an attempt to determine who was speaking, and she heard several distinct voices, including one she did not recognize.

Lucius tensed, his grip tightening on her hand as his steps slowed. Soon, they were near enough to the lounge for Narcissa to catch a glimpse of the room through the open doors. She watched as a dark-clothed man passed in front of one of the windows within, the abrasive light from outside reducing him to little more than a tall silhouette.

That image was, apparently, more than sufficient for Lucius to recognize him.

"This way."

He turned abruptly around, trading the hand he'd held for her other one as he steered her back down the way from which they'd come.

"Lucius, what's going on?"

"You don't need to meet him. I'm sure you will someday soon, but not right now."

The mirth had gone from Lucius's face, and Narcissa felt her own fall as she watched the determination with which he moved away from the lounge and its occupants.

"The Dark Lord?" she asked him quietly.

Lucius nodded. "For the moment, let's… just pretend we don't know he's here. I don't want to think about any of that mess, right now."

Narcissa squeezed his hand. "Whatever you like."

He sighed and rolled his shoulders backward, as though attempting to regain his bearings. "Let's go outside. I'll show you the stables."


	5. I don't mind waiting

_**5\. "I don't mind waiting."**_

Narcissa stared up at the canopy above her unblinkingly. She had arrived after sunset, excited for the plans she'd made and having given an excuse to her parents as to her whereabouts. She'd planned to meet Lucius and spend the evening with him, but she'd only been at Malfoy Manor for a few minutes when his Mark had begun to burn and he'd been called away.

 _"It won't be for more than a few hours,_ " he'd said. _"If you want to wait for me here, I'll be back as soon as I can."_

 _"Are you sure? If you don't want me to stay, I_ — _"_

He'd pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. _"Of course I want you to stay. I just don't want to keep you waiting."_

 _"I don't mind waiting, as long as you come back safe."_

Lucius had pulled up his hood and departed, and Narcissa had decided to sit on the bed and attempt to distract herself by reading. Her focus had been incredibly poor, however, as her mind had drifted every few moments to where he was and what sort of danger he was in.

She couldn't stand it.

Eventually, she'd decided to attempt resting, if only to silence her thoughts, which had taken to playing through every possible threat Lucius might have been up against as Narcissa had sat alone in his bedroom. She'd changed into her nightgown and pulled the covers up to her chest and attempted to shut off her mind.

It hadn't worked.

Now, she'd shifted position more times than she cared to count as she lay awaiting him for what she knew had been more than a few hours. A glance at the clock told her it was after midnight, and the whipping of the wind outside the large windows was more chilling than comforting, in the light of the candles that had nearly burned out.

The sound of the doorknob turning arrested Narcissa's attention, and she sat up so quickly that the room around her spun. A shadow stood in the doorway, pausing for a moment before moving forward. Lucius lowered his hood as he stepped into view of the candlelight, and Narcissa saw even at her distance how pale he was.

"I'm sorry," he said, watching her with tired, pained eyes. His hand clutched his left shoulder.

She threw off the covers and climbed out of bed, padding across the carpet with her bare feet to close the door behind him and unfasten his cloak, which dropped heavily to the floor. She rested her hands gently on his and moved it out of the way, allowing her to see the deep scratch that had sliced through his robes and across his skin.

"Come here. And you'll have to take off your robes so I can see that better."

Narcissa took Lucius's arm and guided him to the bed, and he sat down at the edge and let out a long sigh. She had no idea what he'd been doing, but his exhaustion was clear in his every movement. He stripped out of his robes and down to his undergarments, and she retrieved her wand from her bag of belongings and returned to his side, calling to the surface of her mind every healing spell she could recall.

"Cissy, I appreciate it, but you don't have to—"

"Hush, love. Just hold still."

She rested her free hand on his cheek, her thumb running over it soothingly as she muttered one spell after another. Narcissa watched as the edges of Lucius's wound stretched and shifted, folding inward and beginning to seal. He let out a soft hiss, and her eyes flicked to his sadly.

"I'm sorry if I'm hurting you."

"Don't worry about it, my beautiful." Lucius lifted his hand and laid it atop the one Narcissa held against his cheek. She gave him a half-smile and returned her focus to the injury, mumbling a few more incantations and watching as the wound disappeared.

"There," she said. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

Lucius reached out to grab Narcissa by the waist and pull her forward, leaning back simultaneously to lie down on the bed and bring her down on top of him. She dropped her wand to the carpet for fear of inadvertently stabbing him with it and didn't resist when he pulled her close, instead leaning up to kiss his neck as he enfolded her in his arms.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get home," he said.

"I told you, I don't mind waiting." She reached up to run her fingers through his hair, and he sighed contentedly. "I just hate seeing you in pain."

"I'm fine, Cissy. Really, I am. Thanks to you."

She smiled, resting her head against the shoulder she hadn't healed. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Let's try to sleep," said Lucius, pulling the covers up over them both and rubbing Narcissa's back softly. "We'll have more time together, tomorrow. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

Content at last now that she lay in his arms, Narcissa closed her eyes.


	6. I believe it was food-poisoning

_**6\. "I believe it was food-poisoning."**_

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening…"

As Narcissa drew herself up on thin, trembling legs from the bathroom floor where she'd been expelling every meal she'd eaten in the last day or so into the toilet, she understood that no matter how many times she told herself otherwise, it _was_ happening.

 _We should've been more careful._

They should've used some form of protection, but the possibility of this situation coming to pass had seemed so completely unlikely, and Narcissa admitted grudgingly to herself that she hadn't really given it a lot of consideration. She'd always been too distracted by the heat of the moment to think about the future and what an unplanned pregnancy could bring.

Bellatrix had married respectably and moved out of her parents' home, but she had expressed absolutely no interest in producing an heir for the Lestrange family. Her heart was in the war, not in what her parents and the rest of Pureblood society expected of her.

Andromeda had not married respectably. She'd eloped with a Muggleborn and been removed from the family tree entirely, Cygnus and Druella refusing to entertain even a mention of her from the sister who still loved her and wished to salvage their relationship.

Narcissa was not married. Not yet, anyway. Engaged, yes, but she was also only seventeen. She and Lucius hadn't even set a date for the wedding, and here she stood, attempting not to fall to the floor again beneath the weight of her anxiety and the nausea that had thoroughly ruined her morning. Here she stood, preparing to bring disgrace to the parents she already feared and who would almost certainly disown her for the scandal this was sure to bring down on them, just as they'd disowned Andromeda.

Narcissa leaned over the sink, clutching the porcelain with hands that turned nearly as white due to the force with which she held on and closing her eyes as she struggled to regain control of her breathing. She'd begun to hyperventilate, and she knew she couldn't afford to panic, not right now. She fought back the tears that stung her eyes and refused to allow them to fall.

 _I am stronger than my fear. I am going to be fine._

She repeated these words in her mind as she forced deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, and eventually, she calmed herself down enough to leave the bathroom. She dressed as quickly as she could without risking making herself ill again with the movement, tying her corset a bit more loosely than she would have were she not feeling so unwell. When she'd smoothed the green skirt of her dress into alignment and pulled her hair into a long braid over her shoulder, she made her way downstairs to find everyone else already half-finished with their tea in the drawing room.

Cygnus shot her a withering look as she entered. "And she decides to grace us with her presence," he said coldly.

"My apologies. I wasn't feeling well."

"In what way?" asked Druella from her spot on the divan.

Narcissa glanced from her mother to Lucius, who had arranged this visit with her parents in order to put her mind at ease. He was watching her over the rim of his teacup, an unspoken question in his eyes as to her well-being.

"I believe it was food-poisoning," said Narcissa after a moment. "Nothing to worry about."

She took the remaining empty seat in the chair beside Lucius, hoping he believed her.


	7. I never stopped

**A/N: This is angsty. I wanted to hit this period briefly to connect some dots in this and other fics. I promise things work out and the next segment will be more uplifting.**

* * *

"When I look at you, I see someone who isn't fooled by the things that mislead everyone else into becoming whatever they are. You see through people and to who they could be, if they were more perfect and less stupid. Take Rookwood, for example."

Narcissa winced.

She'd avoided Lucius for as long as she could, and honestly, she was surprised that she had endured it. She missed him more than she could bear, but now that she'd pushed him away, she wasn't certain how to go about letting him back in, no matter how clear he'd made it that he wasn't going to give up on her.

How could she begin to tell him the truth? When she'd left, she'd blamed the war. She'd told him that with the danger he put himself in all the time, she couldn't rest, and she'd used the night at the Leaky Cauldron when a pair of his Death Eater colleagues had attacked her as the final excuse. She'd known that Lucius had absolutely no idea that allowing Thorfinn near her was a disastrous idea. She hadn't yet told him about the attempt the other man had made to force himself on her a few years previously, and now she wasn't certain whether she would get the chance to fully explain.

She only knew that she had no idea how to begin to tell Lucius that the real reason she'd pushed him away was that she hadn't been able to handle the loss of the baby she hadn't been able to work up the courage to tell him about.

 _He'd hate me, if I told him now_ , said the vicious voice at the back of her mind. She wasn't certain whether this fear had any merit—he'd loved her completely, and try as she might to deny it, she was still deeply in love with him. She knew rationally that he wasn't likely to hate her, but still, she didn't want to give him reason.

She'd given in at last to her desire to see him. He'd sought her out at the masquerade ball hosted by her parents, and she'd recognized him instantly even with his mask, but she'd agreed to dance. She hadn't been prepared for him to speak to her openly, though she supposed she should've expected it.

"You saw the best in me even when I didn't deserve it," said Lucius. " _Especially_ then. And I haven't felt like myself since I lost you."

Narcissa moved to draw back and then paused, and Lucius gave her hand a quick squeeze before sighing.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "If you really want to leave—"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" She hated herself for the pain she'd caused him, and she had no idea what to do. If she told him the truth, she would only hurt him further. Her mind screamed at her to get as far away as she could before she could inflict more damage, but her heart wouldn't let her move.

"You are." She couldn't tell through the mask, but it sounded like he was smiling. "Spin."

She did, and when she spun back toward him, she was facing outward with her back to his chest and their joined hands in front of her.

"I feel like I'm watching my life happen but I'm not a part of it."

His words struck a chord within her, and she frowned as she realized how true they were for her, as well.

"I've made so many mistakes that I don't remember who I was when I started. I'm not sure I like what I'm becoming, but I don't know how to stop it. It may be too late, for me."

"It's never too late." Narcissa's voice came out as barely a whisper, but Lucius must have heard her. When she spoke, he drew her closer, and despite herself, she did not resist.

"I've done horrible things, Narcissa. Things that keep me awake at night and keep me from looking at myself in the mirror. But do you know what torments me more than the faces of those people I've hurt?"

She shook her head, and she felt a lump beginning to well in her throat.

"Letting you go."

She bit her lip as he spun her back around to face him and both of his hands went to her waist. She thought it must be the third song playing since they'd started dancing, now, but she didn't really know or care.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," she breathed.

He shook his head. "Everything was my fault. I drove you away, and I haven't been able to live with myself since."

A tear slipped from her eye, and she was incredibly thankful for the mask she wore.

"Would you come with me for a moment, please?" It was a request and not an order; she knew if she refused, he would not insist. She wanted more than anything to be able to say no, but she couldn't deny him. She nodded.

He took her gently by the hand and led her across the dance floor and to the open doors that led to the presently-deserted balcony. The air was cool on her bare shoulders, and she shivered. They walked to the railing on the far side, and when they reached it, she grasped it for support. Her hand had rested there for only a moment when he placed his softly on top of it.

With his free hand, he reached up and removed his mask. His face was every bit as handsome as she remembered it, though his eyes were lined with heavy circles and it looked as though he hadn't slept in months. Perhaps he hadn't.

He reached toward her face. "May I?"

She nodded, and he carefully removed her mask. She felt suddenly very vulnerable, and she wished she had not agreed to allow her face to be seen. When the mask was gone, he smiled at her, and her heart ached.

"There's the Narcissa I remember."

"I'm not sure she exists, anymore. She's been through a lot, you know."

He nodded and took a step closer. "I can only imagine. Cissy, for the last two years, I've thought of millions of ways to make up for what I've put you through. How I've made you worry, how I haven't been able to help with your family, how—"

"I haven't made it easy," said Narcissa. She couldn't allow him to continue trying to rationalize her reasons for leaving and blaming himself. "I haven't replied to your owls, and I wouldn't let you through the door. I've been dreadful."

Lucius shook his head. "No, you were justified. But… now that I'm here…" He rested his hand gently against her cheek, and she fought the urge to run.

"I'm with Augustus, now," she said instead. The words hung in the air around them for several long moments, and then Lucius broke the silence.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," she answered a little too quickly.

"Do you love me?"

There it was. The fact she had avoided facing aloud, which now drew a fresh wave of tears to her eyes.

"Lucius, I…" She struggled for words, unable to make sense of the thoughts swirling through her mind and pushing their way toward her tongue. _Yes. No. I can't._ "I never stopped," she breathed.

A look of pure joy flickered across his eyes. He leaned forward until their faces were nearly touching, his lips moving cautiously toward hers.

 _I can't do this. Not now. I can't handle it. Gods, I still love him. But I can't do this to Augustus._

Without pausing for second thought, she slipped away and ran back into the house, pushing her way through the crowd and leaving the ballroom to lock herself in her own chambers as she left both of them behind.


	8. I promise

**A/N: And now to get things moving in a more pleasant direction, heavily-implied but non-explicit smut.**

* * *

 _ **8\. "I promise."**_

Narcissa couldn't describe how wonderful it felt to be back at Malfoy Manor. Slipping back into the lies she'd taken to telling her parents had been easier than she'd imagined; she remembered exactly what to say and how to say it to convince them to believe her.

Perhaps they didn't believe her. The thought had crossed her mind more than once. After all, how many reasons could she possibly have to spend weekends away with friends she already saw often at parties thrown by her parents or theirs? The girls had always been more than willing to provide Narcissa with an alibi, which she appreciated, but she wondered now and then what would happen if Cygnus and Druella were to learn where she'd really spent the majority of the time she'd manage to steal away from them since her graduation from Hogwarts.

At the moment, though, she didn't care what they thought. She pushed them from her mind as she sat beside Lucius on a chaise in the lounge, watching him closely over the rim of the glass of white wine he'd poured her. His eyes were fixed on hers, and she couldn't escape the feeling that he'd missed the sight of her as much as she'd missed seeing him.

 _How could I have been such an idiot?_ she asked herself. She'd been foolish to try to stay away. She'd convinced herself for a time that she'd done so for the right reasons, but it didn't matter, anymore. She couldn't deny that he was the only one she would ever truly want, truly _love._

"What?" she asked, starting to smile.

"Just memorizing this." Lucius took a drink from his glass and set it on the table without removing his focus from Narcissa.

She laughed, shaking her head. "I've been here a thousand times, love. I doubt it looks any different."

He leaned forward slowly, the space between them fading to nonexistence as his lips brushed her cheek. "You could be here a million times and I'd still want to memorize each one."

A light shiver passed through Narcissa, and she reached out to set her glass on the table before she could risk spilling it in her distraction.

"I missed you," Lucius said quietly, kissing her jaw.

"I'm sorry," Narcissa breathed. She reached out to run her fingertips lightly down his neck, and he shuddered before laying his hand over hers.

"Don't apologize." His lips moved slowly along her jaw and started down her neck, and her mind began to cloud with thoughts of exactly how much she'd missed his kiss.

"Why not? You deserve—"

"I don't." Lucius sighed and leaned back slightly to meet Narcissa's eyes once again. "Not after what I put you through. And the worst part? I know it isn't over. You see this?" He reached for his left sleeve and hiked it upward, revealing the edge of the black mark it had been concealing. Narcissa's stomach twisted at the sight. "This is for life, Cissy. Everything you said about how much you worried and sat up afraid that I wasn't going to come home—all of that still stands. You don't owe me an apology—you don't owe me anything. Just the fact that you're here is everything I need to know."

She reached out to lay her hands on either side of his cheek and pulled him to her, kissing him deeply. He returned her kiss with passion, the heat that grew rapidly between them telling her that he had, in fact, missed her every bit as much as she'd missed him.

After several moments, she pulled her mouth back just enough to speak as she started to work open the buttons of his shirt. "None of that matters," she breathed against his lips. "I'll stay up all night every night to make sure you come back and I don't care. Just promise me you will."

"I promise." He shrugged out of his shirt and dropped it to the floor before claiming her lips again, leaning forward to lay her down on the chaise as his hand ran slowly down her side.

As they shed the layers of clothing separating them and began to move together for the first time in months that felt longer than a lifetime, Narcissa forgot everything she'd been afraid of. She knew with every shuddering breath and every moan of his name that Lucius would never hate her for anything she admitted to him, and she knew that she would eventually come clean about everything she hadn't said. For now, though, she had returned to his arms, and that was enough.

She was home.


	9. I should've known

**A/N: The wedding will eventually be covered in full in** _ **The Serpent and the Rose,**_ **but as this series is passing through that timeframe, I wanted to touch on part of it here.**

* * *

 _ **9\. "I should've known..."**_

He couldn't believe the day had come at last. After years of planning and anticipation and more complications than he'd been prepared to handle, it was official. Final.

They were married, and nothing and no one would ever come between them again.

The ceremony had come and gone, and most of the guests at the reception Lucius's parents had insisted they host at the Manor had filtered out. He hadn't left Narcissa's side since she'd joined him at the altar, and he'd only removed his gaze from her briefly now and then to greet well-wishers and shake hands with people he really didn't care to see. He wanted more than anything to send them all packing and be alone with his bride, but he couldn't tell anyone that without risking irritating his father, which he didn't exactly want to do, as Abraxas was helping to fund the honeymoon about which Lucius had yet to inform Narcissa. He planned to surprise her after everyone had gone, but the longer the evening dragged on, the less likely it seemed that the stragglers would ever leave.

"I need to borrow you both for a moment."

Lucius glanced toward the voice at his ear to find his father standing beside him, his face drawn. Lucius's shoulders tensed. Whatever reason Abraxas had for being less than elated at his son's wedding reception, the younger Malfoy found himself rather irritated at the idea. He couldn't imagine what was bothering Abraxas, but he also didn't want to shoulder his father's negativity when this day was supposed to be perfect.

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just come on."

Lucius sighed, tightening the arm he'd wrapped around Narcissa's waist to catch her attention. She glanced toward him, frowning slightly when she saw the hesitation he'd failed to hide, and then looked back to the pair with whom she'd been speaking.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "We'll be back shortly."

She returned her attention to Lucius, who led her after his father. Abraxas escorted them out of the ballroom and down a series of corridors, and as they walked, Narcissa leaned in close to speak to Lucius quietly.

"Where are we going?"

"I've no idea," he muttered.

Abraxas led the way to the second floor, and Lucius slowed his pace on the stairs, aware that they were difficult for Narcissa to manage in her wedding dress. She didn't complain, however, and the two followed Abraxas into the study, where they froze in the doorway.

Standing beside one of the bookshelves and inspecting its contents with the same disinterest as though they were his own and he'd poured over their titles a million times was none other than the Dark Lord himself. He was clothed as always in black, and he exuded an aura that seemed to suggest the day's festivities had been not for the newlyweds but for him instead.

"My Lord," Lucius greeted, finding his mouth suddenly very dry. He bowed as the Dark Lord turned toward him. To his right, Narcissa stood, her body having gone completely rigid. Lucius squeezed her waist, attempting to silently communicate that she do something, as the Dark Lord's focus had now shifted to her. After what had only been a moment but felt much, much longer, she imitated her husband's bow.

"Lucius," said the Dark Lord smoothly, starting toward them. "And the new Mrs. Malfoy. I've heard so much about Cygnus Black's youngest daughter, but I've never had the pleasure. How nice to meet you at last."

The Dark Lord paused in front of where Lucius and Narcissa stood, offering the latter his hand, which she shook more stiffly than Lucius had ever seen her move before.

"The pleasure is mine," she said quietly, adding a quick "My Lord" as he released her hand and she returned it to her side. The Dark Lord turned to Lucius, his eyes betraying a bit of his amusement at Narcissa's obvious fear.

"I had business with your father, and I wanted to offer you my congratulations. Please, do not let me keep you from the festivities."

In his shock, Lucius took a few seconds longer than he normally would have to process that they had been dismissed. He bowed once more, and Narcissa did the same, each muttering thanks before returning to the corridor outside. As soon as they'd left the study, Lucius took Narcissa's hand and led her swiftly back down the stairs and into the empty lounge, wanting to be certain that they were free of prying eyes before drawing her tightly into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea he was going to be here."

"It's all right," she said into his shoulder, her arms tightening around him. "It's not your fault."

"I should've known…" He trailed off, not certain exactly what to tell her. That he should've known the Dark Lord would take any and every opportunity to intimidate those who followed him? That something had to go wrong, after the rest of the day had been so smooth in comparison? Lucius shook his head and kissed Narcissa's cheek. "Don't think about it anymore. We'll go speak to the last few guests, and then we're going to Paris."

" _Paris?_ " she repeated, drawing back slightly to look up at him with wide, blue eyes.

Lucius felt indescribably guilty for allowing this part of his life to be marred by another that was much less pleasant, and he did his best to ignore the feeling that this was a sign of things to come as he smiled at his wife.

"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy. Now let's go and get rid of our guests."


	10. Show me

**A/N: Warning for the beginnings of a lemon.**

* * *

 _ **10\. "Show me."**_

Lucius had been away at some meeting with the Minister that Narcissa wasn't remotely interested in for the entire evening. He had warned her that as Minister Minchum was an idiot, it might take a considerable length of time to persuade him to see reason, and she understood. Her husband didn't want to make her stay up waiting for him when it might be a lost cause. However, she was quite accustomed to doing so, due to either the job his father had recently helped him to secure or his Death Eater duties, and thought of going to bed without him wasn't one she planned to entertain. She lay in their bed reading, having charmed a bell downstairs to ring when he returned home so that she could be ready to welcome him.

Lucius always seemed rather unhappy after dealing with Minchum. Narcissa knew it was because the Minister's push to increase security measures and double the dementor presence at Azkaban were stressors Lucius didn't need, when he was already concerned that the Ministry was closing in on the identities of the Death Eaters and that his own involvement might come to light, landing him—and quite possibly Narcissa—in prison.

He'd had enough trouble sleeping lately, spending his nights tossing and turning and fretting over the war. Tonight, she planned to distract him as thoroughly as possible.

Alerted by the ringing of the bell she'd charmed, Narcissa quickly set the book on her night table and smoothed her long hair into place over her shoulder. She lay down sideways atop the blankets, her head propped up on one wrist supported by an elbow out beneath her and one leg crossed over the other. _And now I wait. Again._

Several moments passed in stillness, and then Lucius opened the bedroom door quietly. His eyes fell on her as he lingered on the threshold, and a grin slowly spread over his lips. She'd borrowed his old Quidditch jersey, which was currently the only thing she wore.

"Well good evening, my beautiful."

She smirked, watching him closely and resting her free hand on her hip. "Hello, darling. I've been thinking about you all day."

"Is that so?" He eyed her curves, his focus lingering on her legs. As his jersey only fell to her mid-thigh, they were left largely-exposed.

"Mhm." She blushed a bit under his appraising gaze. Despite the number of times he'd seen her wearing much less, she couldn't get over the way he looked at her when he wanted her. He had a way of making her feel like the only woman in the world—or at least the only one he'd ever want—with just that look. "Quite a lot."

A smirk settling onto his features, he slipped off his jacket and draped it over the dresser. "About what, exactly?"

"About how much I miss you, my sweet. How much I want you to be here with me instead of stuck at work."

"Believe me, Narcissa, you've no idea how much I would've rather spent all of tonight with you than being holed up in the Ministry with those idiots. Honestly, they've not the slightest clue how to deal with the new policies Minchum is imposing, and the man himself is a blubbering fool. I swear, if I have to deal with the Wizengamot again in the near future, I will end up killing—"

 _Dear gods. I love you, but you know I can't stand politics. Maybe this will help your mind find a new direction._

She nodded understanding at his words and shifted her legs, crossing the one currently lying in front of the other over to the back, making sure to shift at just the right angle so that for the briefest instant, the jersey did not cover all that it was supposed to and instead gave him a glimpse of her lower regions.

His gaze followed her movement, and even at her distance, she believed she saw his trousers tighten. His eyes lingered for several moments too long on her hips, covered again by his jersey after she'd finished moving.

"Tell me, what do you have on under that?"

She blinked, slipping on an innocent expression and tipping her head to the side just a bit as she watched his face, seeing that he still hadn't returned his focus to hers.

"Hmm? Oh, not a thing, darling. Why?"

A small groan worked its way from his throat, and he slipped off his shoes and socks, taking a step toward the bed as he pulled off his tie and dropped it unceremoniously to the floor.

"Ah... you do know how to torment me."

"What do you mean?" She worked at looking puzzled, but she couldn't help smiling a bit. She lifted her hand from her hip to bring it to her mouth, sliding her index finger slowly along her lips and giving its tip a small nibble.

Lucius growled low in his throat, pulling off his belt and tossing it aside and rushing for the bed. He lay down and rolled on top of Narcissa, his hands sliding down slowly over her curves as he stared fiercely into her eyes.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Do I?" She looked at him with an eyebrow raised in challenge, her lips twisting into a teasing grin.

"The _thought_ of you is enough to drive me mad. And this..." His hands skimmed down to cup her hips, his thumbs reaching out to brush the hem of the jersey and lift it slightly. "Gods, Narcissa," he growled. "You've no idea what this does to me…" He kissed at her jawline just below her ear.

 _I do. That's why I did it, darling._ "Mmm, I want to know. Show me."


	11. Have faith

**_11\. "Have faith."_**

 _I can do this. I can. There is absolutely no reason to be afraid._

Narcissa stared at her reflection in the glass above her boudoir, willing herself to be as calm as her exterior suggested. She had been working hard to keep her emotions in check, and she'd nearly succeeded in removing all indications of worry or excitement from her face when she heard the twisting of the doorknob that told her she was no longer alone. Her eyes widened and her brows lifted, panic becoming evident on her features for a moment before being replaced by frustration at herself for losing control so easily.

 _There's absolutely no point, anyway_ , she told herself as she slowly turned around in her chair to face the door. _He'll see through me, no matter how well I think I'm hiding what I feel._

She looked up to meet the eyes of her husband as he shrugged off his cloak and laid it across the bedframe. Lucius smiled at her, and Narcissa returned the expression, though she was certain it wasn't as convincing as she would've liked.

He noticed.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, starting toward her. She stood, the silk of her robe brushing against her legs as she walked forward to meet him, reaching out to take his hands in her own.

"We, ah... We should sit down," she said. He nodded slowly, frowning. She recognized the particular set of his mouth as the one he wore when he was attempting to determine what she was planning to say.

She sat down at the edge of the bed, and he sat beside her, his eyes still searching hers for an answer. Narcissa inhaled deeply. She'd gone over the words in her mind a hundred times already, but that hadn't made it any easier for her to push them out into the air. She knew she should be happy—beyond happy; positively elated—at the news she planned to give him. But she had allowed herself to be excited by similar news before, and it had only led to crushing disappointment and heartache. She wanted to believe that this time would be different. With all of her being, she wanted that to be true. But if she allowed herself to hope, she would only be giving the universe the power to crush her once again. She had no idea how to feel.

"Lucius, I..." The words died in her throat. Infinitely worse than the feeling of apprehension that had settled over her was the fear of hurting him again if something were to go wrong. As he watched her now, understanding dawned on his face, and she knew she didn't have to speak the words for him to know exactly what she was thinking and why it was so difficult to say.

"Are you...?" he began, and she nodded slowly.

She watched him as the same fear that had dominated her thoughts since she'd found out passed over his face, but after an instant, it was gone, as though he'd pushed it away. In its place, a soft smile settled onto his lips, and he squeezed both her hands before releasing them to draw her into his arms. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"That's wonderful," he said quietly, the words mumbled against her hair.

"Is it?" she breathed. She felt him lift his head to look at her, but she kept her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her, unwilling to meet his eyes when she was thinking this way.

"Yes. Cissy, look at me."

She sighed, shifting her focus to his face without lifting her own from his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be fine. We'll go see the healers as often as we have to and check on things every day. We'll do whatever it takes."

"But what if it's not enough?" Narcissa's voice cracked. They'd done everything right the last time and had been absurdly cautious, but it hadn't been enough to keep Narcissa from losing the baby.

"It will be." Lucius rested his hand on Narcissa's chin and guided her face upward so that he could rest his forehead against hers. "You can't think that way, Cissy. You have to believe that it will be all right. Please. Have faith."

"Okay," she said quietly. She closed her eyes and held to him tightly, her head still leaning against his. She knew he was right. She had to believe that things would work out—hat they would be able to have a child.

She had to believe.


	12. How do you make me so weak

_**12\. "How do you make me so weak?"**_

Lucius normally didn't mind the things he had to do for the Dark Lord. Each task was a means to an end, each person he had to hurt part of a larger plan. The life he was ensuring for himself and for his family was worth every life he had to take in order to make it possible.

This particular mission, though, he wasn't enjoying at all.

He'd been instructed to lead the torture of a group of Muggles, and the woman with whom he'd found himself face-to-face was pale and blond with wide blue eyes. Her resemblance to his wife was too striking not to unsettle him deeply, and he couldn't bring himself to put much force behind the curse no matter how many times he told himself that the woman before him was a _Muggle._ She was absolutely, undeniably as far from the witch he loved as was possible, and he needed to get himself together.

Still, as the Muggle woman wept and pled for her life, Lucius couldn't stop thinking about how he would rip to shreds the person who ever attempted or even thought about doing to Narcissa what he'd been ordered to do to this woman.

Macnair, apparently, noticed his hesitation. He rested his hand on Lucius's arm and leaned in close to speak to him at a volume the other Death Eaters couldn't hear.

"I'll take over. It's all right, mate. You take that one over there."

"Thank you," Lucius muttered. He turned away and raised his wand once again.

* * *

As he climbed into bed, his Death Eater robes discarded and his mask lying on the floor, he still hadn't forgiven himself either for his hesitation, his inability to complete his task as assigned, or the fact that he'd tried to do so.

Narcissa stirred beside him without opening her eyes, laying her arm over the one he wrapped around her waist as she rolled over to face him and smiling softly. He watched her in the darkness.

"How do you make me so weak?" he asked her quietly.

"I think," she said sleepily, "we make each other stronger."

He didn't argue. He only continued to watch her until sleep claimed him.


	13. Stop and look at me

**A/N: Warning for mentions of abuse (by Cygnus).  
**

* * *

 _ **13\. "Stop and look at me."**_

At the sound of glass shattering as it met the marble floor, Narcissa flinched. She immediately dropped to her knees and began attempting to collect the pieces of the shattered bowl, mentally screaming at herself for being so careless. She moved quickly as her heart began to pound, determined to have cleaned up the mess entirely before anyone noticed what had happened.

She realized a few moments into her panic that the words echoing through her mind were not her own. Instead, they belonged to her father, and she heard them as clearly as though he were standing over her, berating her for the mistake for which she would've likely earned a few seconds under the Cruciatus Curse or at least a slap across the face.

" _Stupid girl! Are you incapable of paying attention? Or do you take pleasure in ruining things?_ "

Tears stung her eyes as she picked up the shards of glass, making a small pile in her left hand as her right skimmed over the floor to search out pieces she'd missed. She planned to use magic to repair the bowl, if possible, once she'd made certain that she'd found every piece.

She let out a pained gasp as the hand she'd been using to search the floor ran across a particularly sharp fragment, and she lifted her hand to find that the glass had broken the skin.

"Cissy?"

She stared at the blood beginning to pool along one of the lines in her palm for a moment, and then she reached out with her uninjured hand—filled already as it was with glass shards—to collect the piece that had cut her.

"Cissy, what are you doing? Are you all right? You—you're bleeding. Stop and look at me."

Narcissa shook her head. She vaguely recognized that the voice did not belong to her father, but she needed to complete the task at hand before she would allow herself to rest.

She absolutely hated Cygnus for ingraining this way of thinking into her mind so deeply that she couldn't shake it even now that she was fully grown. She hated the way he'd trained her to always blame herself even when what had happened wasn't her fault or had been an accident. She hated that she could still feel his curses and hear his voice even now, when she'd left home to live with her husband and was expecting a child of her own. Narcissa had vowed before she'd been old enough to attend Hogwarts that when she became a mother she would leave the abuses and manipulations of the Black family far behind. She would never treat her child the way she'd been treated. She found, however, that her own experiences were much harder to forget than she'd anticipated.

"Narcissa. Stop."

She blinked away the tears clouding her vision and looked up from the floor, processing at last that Lucius had knelt beside her and had caught the wrist of her injured hand. He was staring at her, his grey eyes wide with concern and the edge of fear.

"I'm sorry," said Narcissa. "I know the bowl was your grandmother's, and I'm going to fix—"

"Hey. Listen to me." Lucius laid his free hand on his wife's cheek. "I don't give a damn about the bowl. What I care about is you." He pulled his hand back to remove a handkerchief from his pocket and tie it around Narcissa's wounded hand. As she watched him, she bit her lip, trying hard to keep her tears at bay. He returned his focus to her face when he'd finished. "There. Did you really think I was going to be angry about something like that?"

She opened her mouth to explain and shut it again when she realized she didn't begin to know how. Slowly, she tipped her left hand to the side, allowing the glass she'd collected to fall into a small pile on the floor beside her leg. He watched her closely, and when his jaw tightened, she knew he understood.

"One of these days, I'm going to repay him for what he's done to you."

"Lucius…"

"I mean it." Anger had started to seep into Lucius's tone, and though Narcissa knew it wasn't directed at her, she blamed herself for making it necessary. "You shouldn't be frightened over something as trivial as this. In fact…"

He stood, and she watched as he moved a few paces toward the table from which she'd accidentally knocked the bowl. He then reached for the decorative vase resting on the end of the table farthest from where Narcissa sat and gave it a light shove, sending it crashing to the floor, where it cracked in half. She stared at him. As he turned toward her again, he was wearing a half-smile. Lucius reached for Narcissa's hands and helped her to her feet, careful of her injury.

"You really didn't have to—" she began, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

"I wanted to prove a point," he said. "Nothing in this house is or will ever be more important to me than you and our baby. Never forget that."

She wrapped her arms around him and smiled as she rested her head against his chest. "I love you so much."

"I love you," he said, pulling her closer.


	14. It's perfect

_**14\. "It's perfect."**_

Lucius stared at the wooden crib and lowered his wand slowly, almost certain that he'd reassembled it correctly. The crib was an antique, but it had been too wide to fit through the doorway of the room Lucius and Narcissa had selected for the nursery, so he'd had to break it down and hope for the best when putting it back together. He wouldn't have trusted an elf or a servant with a task as important as this one. He tipped his head to the side, inspecting his work from a slightly different angle. _Is that rail level?_

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. As the time for the baby's birth grew rapidly nearer, Lucius questioned more frequently exactly how qualified he was for the task of parenting. The room around him was filling steadily with tiny toys and furniture, some of which hadn't been used since he himself had been a child, though some of it had also seen use by his sister. A few of the items had been Narcissa's, such as the black, stuffed cat that sat in the rocking chair. In addition to the multitude of new items that he and Narcissa had started to buy, Lucius hoped that these gifts from family members would bring comfort to their son or daughter.

He pushed himself up from where he'd been sitting on the floor and lifted the toy cat from its perch at the back of the rocking chair, turning it over in his hands for a moment before placing it at the foot of the crib. The sound of soft footsteps drew his attention, and he glanced toward the door as his wife came into the room, her hand resting on her protruding belly.

"It looks beautiful," she said, nodding to the crib with a smile. She moved to his side and stretched up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, love."

"Are you sure?" Lucius glanced from Narcissa to the crib and back, still not entirely pleased with his work.

"Yes. Relax. It's perfect."

He shrugged noncommittally as she reached for the stuffed animal within the crib, picking it up gently with the hint of a smile. Lucius knew Narcissa didn't have many fond memories of her childhood, so the sight of her probably recalling something that was actually pleasant brought a smile to his lips, as well.

"My great-grandmother Rhea gave her to me. The Rosier side was just a bit more sentimental than the Black side."

"Did you say 'her'?" Lucius's smile widened, and Narcissa blushed.

"I named her Bastet. I brought her everywhere, until Mother told me I was being absurd. Then I started leaving at home in my room."

Lucius watched his wife as she returned the stuffed animal to its spot within the crib. He hated that Narcissa's family had sought to rob her of her childhood. The child to whom this room would soon belong would have no such problem.

"We should get a cat."

Narcissa looked to Lucius with wide eyes, looking uncertain as to whether she'd heard him properly. "What?"

He shrugged. "You wouldn't have to carry it around; it would likely either follow you or be off doing whatever it pleased, but we could get one, if you like. It could grow up with the baby."

Narcissa smiled brightly, stepping closer to embrace her husband, who, for the moment, decided to allow himself to believe he might be decent at fatherhood after all.


	15. She likes you

**A/N: lucissaa, here's the cat, as requested.**

* * *

 _ **15\. "She likes you."  
**_

As he moved through the darkened Manor, Lucius worked to keep his footsteps quiet. He paused outside his parents' door, somewhat relieved when he heard the faint snoring he knew belonged to his father. He started forward again, making his way toward his own room.

Lucius had seen much less of Abraxas, lately. Since the elder Malfoy had admitted that his fatigue and frequency of feeling less than up-to-par were connected to a diagnosis of Dragon Pox that he'd done his best to conceal through magic and denial, Abraxas had spent a considerably-smaller amount of time outside his chambers. It seemed to Lucius that his father had begun to accept defeat, and he knew this was a terrible sign. 'Defeat' hadn't been in the mental dictionary of the Abraxas Malfoy that Lucius had grown up with, and that likely meant that the disease was much farther in its progress than Abraxas was letting on, which was highly unsettling.

Lucius wasn't sure what he would do, if he lost his father to this disease. Abraxas had never been warm or affectionate, but he did care for his family, and Lucius knew he himself wouldn't have been who he was without his father constantly pushing him to excel and strive for more than he should've reasonably expected to accomplish. At times, Lucius hated the perfectionism that Abraxas had drilled into him, but he also knew that it had brought him success. He had thrived in the job to which he'd been recently appointed at the Ministry, and he'd grown to be one of the Dark Lord's favorite young recruits. As Abraxas had become more confined to home, Lucius had stepped up to take his place with the Dark Lord, taking on more tasks than he'd been prepared to handle but making sure he never failed.

He couldn't afford to fail, now least of all. If Abraxas was going to die, he would not do so while disappointed with his son. Lucius would not allow it.

Lucius pushed open the door to the room he shared with Narcissa and stepped inside. He heard the shower running in the adjoined bathroom, and he saw her nightgown lying out on the bed. He sighed, thoroughly relieved to be home, and shed his cloak, hanging it up on the rack along the wall before making his way to the bed and lying down. He closed his eyes, planning to rest for a few moments and clear his mind before undressing. Not ten seconds had passed, however, when he felt a slight shifting on the bed beside him followed by a slight tugging at his sleeve.

He opened his eyes a crack to see a small ball of fluff batting at his arm. He'd kept his word to Narcissa about getting a cat, and she'd chosen Artemis, a purebred Himalayan kitten who had far more energy than Lucius was prepared to handle while he felt so physically and mentally exhausted. The kitten glanced at his face and then back to his hand, evidently trying to capture his attention as she nipped at his fingers.

"I'm not going to play," he said, closing his eyes once again. He doubted Artemis would understand him, but saying nothing to her felt awkward. The sound of the shower water ceased. For a moment, there was stillness, and he wondered if the cat had abandoned her efforts.

Then he felt a tug, and his eyes snapped open as he realized Artemis was playing with and attempting to eat his hair.

"Would you _stop_ that, please?"

He scooted over, trying to move from her reach, but she followed, her tail swishing as she chased him. Lucius realized a moment too late that the cat probably thought he was playing and had wanted her to follow, and he sighed. He reached up to lift the kitten from the bed and set her on his chest, running a hand over her soft fur.

"There. Now please hold still."

A melodic laugh drew his focus, and he glanced to the doorway to the bathroom to find Narcissa watching him with a smile. She was dressed in her robe, and her hair was still wet and hanging loose around her shoulders. Lucius didn't know exactly what he'd expected, but he was fascinated by how easily she'd adapted to pregnancy, moving as gracefully as she always had even when the baby's due date was approaching rapidly. Lucius would've thought the swell the child inhabited would be at least somewhat difficult around which to maneuver, but if Narcissa thought so, she didn't show it. She started toward the bed.

"She likes you," said Narcissa, nodding toward the kitten.

"Mhm." Lucius attempted to fight back the smile that threatened his lips, but he failed. Artemis struggled in his grip, attempting to wriggle free in the direction of Narcissa. Lucius glanced from his wife to the cat. "Fine, go see your mother." He released the kitten, who plodded across the bed to paw at Narcissa's arm when she was close enough and then plop down onto the nightgown she'd been preparing to grab. Narcissa shook her head, still smiling at the little animal, and lifted Artemis into her arms, pulling the kitten to her shoulder.

Lucius planned to focus on the moments like this, when things were peaceful and happy. No matter what else was to come or what was happening with his father, at least he had Narcissa. And, apparently, a ball of fluff with whom he now had to compete for her attention.


	16. Stay with me

_**15\. "Stay with me."**_

In the days following Abraxas's funeral, Malfoy Manor was exceedingly quiet. Narcissa was uncertain of how to react to the loss. She wasn't close with her own father, and though she knew Abraxas had placed heavy expectations and a considerable amount of pressure on Lucius over the years, the two had still cared for one another. Abraxas had always been polite to Narcissa, and she'd been highly upset by his illness and by his death, but she couldn't begin to imagine what Lucius was experiencing.

She'd found him sitting alone in what had been his father's study, staring at one of the bookshelves beside the wall. As she quietly moved closer, she watched his face. His eyes were distant, and she wondered whether he was really seeing the room before him or was instead revisiting memories at which she couldn't guess.

Narcissa paused behind her husband's chair and laid a hand on his shoulder. Lucius blinked, but he continued staring straight ahead.

"Mother says she's going to move in with Lara," he said.

Narcissa frowned. "Why does she want to do that?"

Lucius let out a sigh, still not looking at his wife. "She says with Father gone, I'm 'Master of the Manor,' and she wants to let us take over running things around the house."

Narcissa ran her hand down Lucius's arm to slip her fingers through his, and after a moment's delay, he squeezed her hand.

"I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "I wish there was something we could've done."

"There's nothing anyone could've done."

Silence followed. Narcissa wanted more than anything to say or do something to alleviate some of her husband's pain, but she didn't know what approach would be effective, if any at all. Should she try to draw his attention to pleasant memories of Abraxas or try to distract him from the subject altogether? Should she try to get him to focus on the future instead of the past and think about the child that would soon be arriving?

That, she thought, seemed like the most promising option.

"I've arranged the latest few gifts we've received in the nursery," she said softly. "The blanket your aunt sent matches everything beautifully."

He looked up to meet her eyes at last and offered her a brittle half-smile. The sight made her heart ache, and she stepped closer, holding more tightly to his hand. He gave hers a tug, pulling her onto his lap and running his fingers through her hair when she rested her head against his.

"I want to help you," said Narcissa, her voice barely a whisper.

"Stay with me," said Lucius, closing his eyes. "That's all I can ask."

Narcissa nodded. It was such a small request, but it sounded so difficult for him to make, and she felt utterly helpless because she knew he was right—her company was all she could give that might stand a chance of helping him.

"Always," she said.


	17. Just like his mother

**A/N: Apologies for the delay. I had no wifi.  
**

* * *

 _ **17\. "Just like his mother."**_

Lucius stared down at the tiny child in his arms, still not completely believing this was real. After so many attempts and disappointments, here he was: the infant they'd agreed to name Draco before exhaustion had claimed Narcissa.

Lucius was fairly certain that he was going to literally kill the house-elf. He'd sent the thing off to find a Healer when Narcissa had gone into labor—three weeks early—and Lucius hadn't wanted to risk moving her to St. Mungo's. He'd waited at her side, holding her hand as she squeezed his until he lost circulation. Eventually, though, she hadn't been able to hold on any longer.

The baby had decided it was time.

Lucius had been thoroughly unprepared to deliver a child, but he hadn't seen another option. Narcissa had begged him for help, and she'd clearly been in such immense pain that he couldn't refuse her anything. He'd done his best to coach her and offer her support, though he'd been entirely out of his depth, and after what felt like years—though he knew it must've felt much longer still to his wife—he'd found himself holding a baby boy.

He'd had no idea how much blood Narcissa was going to lose or how to stop it. She'd slipped from consciousness quickly and had turned incredibly pale, and by the time the elf had returned with the Healer, Lucius had been in a full-blown panic. The Healer had sent him to wait outside with Draco after determining that the boy was healthy and cleaning him, and Lucius had been pacing the corridor outside the master bedroom ever since.

The door opened at last, and Lucius whipped around to face it, holding his son close as he watched the Healer step into the corridor and close the door behind her.

"How is she?" Lucius demanded.

The woman looked to him with tired eyes and nodded slowly. "She's resting, but she'll be fine. It was… a close call, Mr. Malfoy. It's very lucky I arrived when I did, or she might've… well. It's very lucky."

Lucius was going to kill the elf. If that creature had cost him the most important thing in his life…

"And it's fortunate that you were here to help with the delivery. Your son appears to be doing well."

"Thank you," said Lucius with a tired sigh. "Would you stay nearby, just in case there's a problem?"

The Healer nodded. "Of course."

"The study's down that way." Lucius inclined his head in the proper direction. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

The Healer nodded again and turned, starting off down the corridor.

After she had gone, Lucius looked down at the child sleeping in his arms. Draco was a miracle. For years, Lucius and Narcissa had wanted children and tried time and again to have them, and now their wish had been fulfilled. Lucius only wished that his wife's life had not been endangered in the process.

He pushed open the bedroom door partway, moving carefully and trying not to make a sound. Narcissa was lying still apart from her breathing, the sight of which eased Lucius's mind considerably. He couldn't begin to imagine something happening to harm her, and losing her entirely… He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. She was safe, and so was their son.

Draco squirmed in his father's arms, letting out a small noise, and Lucius's eyes widened. He started to move backward, trying to get the baby out of the room before Draco could wake his mother, but it was too late. Narcissa shifted, opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly to glance around the room, looking quite disoriented. Leaving without disturbing her was a lost cause, so Lucius stepped forward, hoping to at least put her mind at ease.

"It's all right," he said, giving her a small smile. "Everything's fine, Cissy. Go back to sleep."

Narcissa smiled softly, though even the slight movement looked like a strain. She was still so pale…

"Can I see him, first?" she asked.

Lucius couldn't refuse her. He moved to his wife's side, leaning over carefully to allow her a better view of their son, who was now wide awake. Narcissa lifted her hand to brush her fingertips over Draco's cheek, and Lucius couldn't stop himself from grinning at the sight. Now that the day's stress appeared to have ended and he had seen for himself that Narcissa was all right, he was beginning to allow himself to relax.

"He's perfect," Narcissa said quietly.

"Just like his mother."

She blushed and shook her head, and she opened her mouth, presumably to argue the point. Lucius spoke again before she could.

"Not a word. You need to rest." He leaned down to kiss her softly and then stood to his full height once again. "I promise we'll still be nearby when you wake."

"You'd better be." Narcissa glanced from Lucius to Draco and closed her eyes, still smiling as she laid her head on the pillow once again.

Lucius watched her for a few moments, and then he moved quietly toward the window, holding Draco close. He looked down at his son and then nodded toward the world beyond the glass, specifically the expansive grounds of Malfoy Manor, which had finally seen the birth of its next heir.

"Welcome home," Lucius whispered.


	18. I've got this

_**18\. "I've got this."**_

Narcissa heard a loud crash from down the hall, and she dropped the hairbrush she'd been holding to the floor, hurrying from the bathroom and through the master bedroom into the corridor beyond. She darted past a series of closed doors she knew did not conceal the source of the noise and hurtled toward the one standing open that led to the nursery. Before she'd reached the door, she heard a distinctively dissatisfied _meow_ followed by another crash, and she tensed.

 _Five minutes. I leave them alone for five minutes,_ she thought, _and something gets broken or someone gets injured._

When she reached the nursery, Narcissa froze in the doorway, her eyes wide as she took in the state of the room. Lucius stood beside an overturned lamp, and he looked toward her when she paused, exasperation plain on his face. Draco was cackling happily from his crib, one of his hands closed around something that Narcissa was fairly certain was her husband's wand.

Something soft brushed against her leg, and she looked down to see Artemis attempting to hide behind her. The cat gave an irritable flick of her tail, which, Narcissa observed, appeared to be singed.

"I'm not certain I want to ask what's gone on in here," said Narcissa, glancing from the cat to Draco to Lucius, who sighed.

"I was holding Draco," he said, "and the cat knocked over the lamp. I set the boy down for just a moment while I went to pick it up, and I forgot that I'd lain my wand down where he could reach it. He decided he wanted to point at Artemis, and, well…" Lucius nodded to the cat, who still hadn't come out from behind Narcissa's legs. "She complained so loudly that it caught me off guard, and the lamp didn't make it back to the table."

Narcissa knew she probably should've been more irritated that Draco had been able to access a wand, but as she stared at the scene before her, she could only laugh. Seeing Lucius this flustered over the misbehavior of their child when he himself so often faced certain death without a complaint was incredibly amusing to her. He could handle Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix, but the baby was, somehow, a challenge.

Narcissa shook her head, starting into the room and toward the fallen lamp. "I've got this, love. Go and get your wand before Draco does more damage."

Lucius turned away, muttering under his breath as he made his way toward his son, who was still laughing at the mess he'd made.


	19. It's over, now

**_19\. "It's over, now."_**

When Narcissa opened her eyes, the bedroom was bathed in the faint glow of early morning. The angle of the entering sunlight told her it was far too soon to even consider getting out of bed—particularly after Draco had awoken her crying shortly after midnight and kept her attention for longer than an hour—and so she simply turned over and snuggled closer to Lucius. She'd fallen asleep initially with her head resting against his shoulder and had slipped carefully out of bed—trying hard not to disturb him—to answer Draco's cries, and she'd grudgingly left a bit of distance between Lucius and herself on her return to avoid waking him. He'd been through so much lately that she believed he deserved as much rest as he could manage.

Now, considering that Lucius hadn't stirred so much as a millimeter either time Narcissa had shifted, she saw no harm in moving closer to him, returning her head to his shoulder and laying her arm across his chest, which rose and fell steadily with his breath as he slept.

As she changed position, she caught a glimpse of the marking on his forearm, and she reached out to brush it tenderly with the tips of her fingers. The image of a skull devouring a snake was less pronounced than it had been a week before, when her husband's dark master had still been at large. The Dark Mark was no longer a heavy black; it had faded to a deep red, and if Narcissa hadn't known better, she might have thought it innocuous.

 _We're free,_ she thought, and a smile crept onto her lips.

Lucius let out a yawn, and Narcissa glanced up to meet his eyes as he lifted his head.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you. We still have time to sleep."

Lucius nodded and glanced to Narcissa's hand at his own arm. "It doesn't look right," he said. "I can't get used to seeing it like this."

"I agree." The Mark had been black since the first time Narcissa had seen it, when she and Lucius had still been at Hogwarts. She had difficulty reconciling the two images—the one that meant the Dark Lord still had his hooks deep within her family and the one that meant that Lucius no longer had to answer to anyone. "I much prefer it this way, though."

Lucius smiled and leaned up a bit more, laying a hand at the back of Narcissa's head to draw her lips to his and kiss her softly. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. "It's over, now," he said. "We don't have to worry anymore."

"I can stop wondering whether… you're going to come home."

He wrapped both of his arms around her tightly. "I always will."

Narcissa smiled, laying her head back down and closing her eyes. Lucius pressed a kiss to her hair, and she stopped resisting the pull of sleep as it attempted to drawn her in again.


	20. I will not lose you, too

**A/N: The angst returns. TW for miscarriage.**

* * *

 ** _20\. "I will not lose you, too."_**

Malfoy Manor was far too quiet. By this time, Lucius had anticipated the cries of two more children to drift on the air, awakening him at all hours with the blissful headache that was fatherhood.

But that was not to be.

He'd left his sister and her children with Draco downstairs, and he trusted that Lara would formulate some explanation of Narcissa's absence for Draco that did not involve the truth. Whatever story his sister could throw together was fine with Lucius, as long as Draco knew not to press his parents further on the matter. Lucius simply couldn't bring himself to be the one to lie to his son, not when his typical ability to spin a verbal web had been eclipsed by the pain turning his steps to lead. As such, he'd said nothing at all when asked what had happened and had kept a constant rotation of family members in charge of distracting his son.

He lingered outside the door for a moment, gathering himself to whatever extent he could. He then turned the knob and stepped inside, taking in the darkness of the bedroom with a twist of his stomach. In the light entering from the corridor, he saw Narcissa's face as she lay on her side, staring at the wall. Even at his distance, Lucius recognized her expression as belonging to someone who had seen too much suffering at such a young age. Just eleven days after their son's fifth birthday, they had lost the twins who were supposed to be his brother and sister. Narcissa hadn't left the master bedroom in what was now bordering on three days, and Lucius had barely managed to persuade her to touch food. He couldn't blame her for this, especially when the situation had destroyed his appetite as well, but she needed to regain her strength.

He left the door open just a crack to allow himself enough light to move to her side, leaning down for a better view of her face. Her gaze did not shift from the wall behind him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

She lifted her shoulder in an attempt at a shrug, and as her pale skin stretched across her clavicle with the movement, Lucius was forced to face how frail his wife had become. Her health had taken a downward turn before the loss of the twins, and he'd feared the worst, though he hadn't dared to speak that fear. He hadn't wanted to destroy whatever hope she'd still possessed. Now, that hope had been crushed like a flower beneath the heel of a shoe.

"I'm calling the Healer back."

At this, she did meet his eyes, and as she did so, her lips twisted in what looked like pain.

"Why?" she breathed.

"I'm not going to let you waste away." His voice held an unintended edge, and he wanted to take the words back to try again, but it was too late. The sight of her in this state was too much for him to bear. "I will not lose you, too," Lucius said more quietly.

Narcissa stared up at him, saying nothing. After a long moment, she patted the mattress beside her and shifted backward just enough to give him room, her movements strained and coming in short bursts. When she'd settled, Lucius climbed onto the bed, lying down with his head resting next to Narcissa's on the pillow.

"I'm s—"

"Don't say it. Never."

With a heavy sigh, Lucius reached for Narcissa's hand, taking it in his own and forcing himself not to react to the icy touch of her skin.

"This," he said slowly, "was not your fault."

Tears swam in her eyes, and she drew in a long breath before attempting to speak again. "I can't—I can't go through this again." The feeble voice that spoke these words could not have come from Narcissa on any other day; it was reserved only for when she was at her most broken, and he'd heard it only a handful of times in the time they'd been together. "Lucius, I—wouldn't survive it."

He pulled her silently into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could without the fear of harming her further, and closed his eyes as he felt her body quaking as she began to weep again. He tried hard to focus on only this moment—being present, pretending the names _Nereus_ and _Leda_ hadn't already been painted on cribs in the nursery.


	21. Incoming

**A/N: I am posting on my phone from the hospital, so please ignore formatting issues that may arise, as I will fix them later** ** _._** **Also, I apologize for being slow to reply to messages, and I will do so as soon as I can. x**

* * *

 _ **21\. "Incoming!"**_

Though her mind screamed at her not to allow this danger, not to allow the small child she watched from across the yard to be placed in harm's way, Narcissa fought hard to stop herself from protesting. She reminded herself for probably the thirtieth time within the last hour that she needed to relax and trust her husband, even if his idea of 'fun' involved allowing their son to fly about on a tiny death machine.

Narcissa appeared, however, to be the only one who viewed the situation in that way.

Draco squealed and cheered as he hurtled over the grass on the miniature broom he'd received for his birthday, his father chasing after him with a grin the likes of which Narcissa hadn't seen in months.

She drew in a long breath and let it out in a sigh, ordering herself to trust that everything would be fine. After all, just because she had never possessed the ability to maintain her balance on a broom for an extended period of time didn't mean Draco couldn't have inherited his father's athletic prowess instead of his mother's... preference for staying land-bound.

As Draco sped past, he called out "Mummy! Lookit!" while the air current his flight generated whipped Narcissa's hair and skirt into a frenzy. She ignored the urge to fix them in favor of snapping another picture of the boy, who swerved a moment later into a hairpin turn that led his mother to gasp involuntary.

"He'll be fine, my love," said Lucius as he ran past, grinning at her. Narcissa said nothing, instead pursing her lips and snapping a picture of her husband before he was out of range.

She then returned her focus to Draco, who was midway through a figure-eight several yards in front of her. As she watched the boy laugh hysterically and blow raspberries at his father for being unable to keep pace, Narcissa realized that she, too, felt happier than she had in quite a while. The loss of the twins had taken a heavy toll on her, but she had begun steadily to give herself permission to enjoy the little moments she had with Draco and Lucius. They, at least, would always be hers.

"Incoming!"

Narcissa didn't process the shout from Lucius until it was too late to react. She let out a sharp, pained breath as Draco slammed into her, knocking her off her feet and to the grass. The camera flashed at the moment of impact and then clattered to the lawn beside Narcissa, who pushed herself up onto her elbows and willed the world to slide back into focus.

Draco hadn't so much as paused; he raced off toward the lake while calling "Sorry, Mummy!" over his shoulder.

Lucius hurried to his wife's side, scooping her from the ground and depositing her on her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly, leaning forward to lay a kiss on her forehead, and though his face was filled with concern, he also appeared to be trying hard not to laugh.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. "Yes. Go catch him."

She reached down to pick up the camera, and when she realized the device was still intact, she resolved to develop the image of Draco colliding with her in full motion in order to use it as leverage to embarrass him when he was older. The image she snapped of Lucius as he ran off again, however, was purely for her own benefit.


	22. Distract me

_**22\. "Distract me."**_

Narcissa waited until several minutes after Draco had fallen asleep to stir, sitting up to press a soft kiss to his forehead and shift the storybook she'd read from until he drifted into unconsciousness onto the night table before climbing from her spot on the bed beside him and treading quietly to the doorway. She smiled at his tiny, resting form and slipped out into the corridor, closing the door to a crack behind her.

At the feeling of an arm winding around her waist, she opened her mouth to let out a startled cry, but a hand stopped the flow of the sound at the same moment she felt the tender brush of lips against her cheek.

"Just me," said Lucius's voice quietly into her ear. "Sorry I'm late. The Wizengamot decided to be particularly difficult."

He lowered his hand, and Narcissa turned to face him as both of his arms pulled her closer. She leaned up to kiss him softly.

"I'm just glad you're home."

Lucius smiled, lifting a hand to brush his fingers through his wife's hair. He nodded toward the doorway to her right. "Is he asleep?"

Narcissa nodded. "He didn't want to be until you came back—he wanted to show you what he learned to do today."

"What was that?" Lucius shifted to slip his fingers through Narcissa's and lead her down the corridor, away from Draco's room and toward their own.

"Apparently, when he sneezes, he can turn Artemis colors."

Lucius let out a loud laugh, and Narcissa's eyes widened. She gave his hand a squeeze, and he glanced back toward the door they'd left before returning his focus to her apologetically.

"Well, we know he'll be ready for school," he said more quietly. "I can't wait until he's old enough to use a wand. He's going to be brilliant."

Narcissa smiled, following her husband into their room and closing the door behind her. She was continually amazed by the level of pride Lucius had in Draco. She'd known he would be an excellent father, and though he'd never believed her, he had settled into the role easily. After a moment, though, her thoughts returned to the mention of school, and her face fell slightly.

"Do you still want to send him to Durmstrang?"

Lucius paused, his gaze fixed on hers, clearly studying her before replying. "I want him to receive the best education possible. I don't believe Dumbledore can give him that, but nothing is set in stone. I know you don't want him to be that far away." He leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Don't worry about it, right now. Or anything." He turned away to move toward the dresser and a bottle of wine she hadn't noticed upon their entry, and her smile began to return.

"You stopped in here before you found me, didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure whether Draco would be awake, and I didn't want to have to disappoint him by telling him he isn't old enough to share with us." Lucius poured the wine into the two glasses resting beside the bottle and passed one to Narcissa, holding the other with one hand as his other moved once again to her waist. "As I said, no worrying allowed, tonight. There's been enough of that at the Ministry this week." He guided her toward the chaise and sat, and she took the seat beside him, resting her head against his shoulder and bringing her glass to her lips to take a sip of wine.

"No worrying, hm?" She leaned up to lay a kiss on his jaw. "Then distract me."

Lucius smirked. "I believe I can do that."


	23. He'll be just like his father

**A/N: Shameless fluff.  
**

* * *

 _ **23\. "He'll be just like his father."**_

"All right, my boy, now what have I told you?"

Lucius leaned back slightly to get a better look at Draco, who was dressed in his finest robes complete with a tiny green tie. The little boy drew himself up straighter, puffing out his chest.

"Be a gentleman," he recited. "Make sure to pull out her chair and let her sit down before I do. Let her decide what she wants to eat first and plan accordingly, because if she wants something like a salad, I shouldn't go overboard and get a huge meal. Keep my napkin in my lap, and don't talk with my mouth full."

Lucius chuckled, impressed by his son's determination to remember everything he'd said. He'd been thoroughly delighted when Draco had approached him early that morning with an idea, and Lucius had wanted to give his son his full support in this endeavor.

"Well done," he said, leaning forward to kiss Draco's forehead before climbing to his feet. "Now, if you can sit down for a moment while I finish getting ready, then we can be off."

Draco nodded enthusiastically and made his way over to the chaise in his parents' room, hopping up onto its edge, his feet dangling several inches above the carpet. Smiling, Lucius turned away to move into the washroom, where he pulled his hair back and tied it with a long, silver ribbon. He straightened his matching tie and brushed off the front of his dress robes, and then he rolled back his shoulders.

"She's going to love this," he muttered, grinning to himself.

Lucius returned to the bedroom and held out a hand to his son. "Ready?" he asked.

Draco jumped to his feet, his head bobbing excitedly, and hurried over to his father. Lucius closed his hand around his son's much smaller one and led him out of the room and through the corridors, and the two made their way down the stairs to the drawing room.

Narcissa sat on the chaise, her hair pulled back into a neat, blond bun. She wore the deep green dress Lucius had given her that morning when he'd brought her breakfast in bed. Narcissa wasn't the easiest to surprise, as she spent most of her time at home and had learned over years of living within Malfoy Manor all the best places to hide gifts, and so Lucius had been rather proud that he'd managed to surprise her this time.

"I wondered where you two had gone," she said, standing from the chaise and smoothing her skirt into alignment as she smiled at Lucius and Draco. She glanced from one of them to another, and Lucius recognized the shift in her expression as pride settling over her. "You both look quite handsome."

Lucius bent down to speak into Draco's ear. "I think you may be forgetting something," he said quietly. Draco paused for a moment and then jumped, turning and hurrying out of the room. Lucius returned his focus to Narcissa, who raised a brow. "Just a moment," he said, smiling. She nodded, and shortly, Draco ran back into the drawing room, his quick movements jostling the bouquet of white roses he'd stashed down the hall before joining his father upstairs to change clothes. He hurried over and held them out to his mother.

"Happy birthday, Mum," he said.

Narcissa knelt beside Draco, positively beaming. "Thank you, my love." She leaned close to kiss Draco's cheek, wrapping her arms around him carefully as she held onto the flowers. She met Lucius's gaze over their son's shoulder, and Lucius winked.

"I want to take you out to dinner to celebrate," said Draco, leaning back to look at his mother, who nodded.

"That sounds lovely."

Draco reached out to take Narcissa's hand and guide her toward the dining room, and Lucius moved quickly to close the distance between them and wrap his arm around his wife's waist as they walked.

"He's told Dobby he wants a full menu for your perusal," Lucius told Narcissa quietly. "I let him make most of the decisions, but I did tell him everything can't be made of chocolate, however unfortunate that is."

Narcissa shook her head, smiling. "I'm so proud," she said softly. "He's becoming a perfect little gentleman. He'll be just like his father." She leaned close to kiss Lucius's cheek, and once again, he couldn't hold back a grin.


	24. Go back to sleep

_**24\. "Go back to sleep."**_

Narcissa had been attempting to read until she fell asleep, fully aware that Lucius probably wasn't coming to bed anytime soon. He sat on the chaise near the wall, poring over a stack of papers, and he showed no signs of fatigue, unlike Narcissa, who was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on the words on the page in front of her. A glance at the clock on the wall told her it was nearly three in the morning. She yawned and stretched, closing her book and setting it on her night table.

Lucius looked toward her and blinked, and it looked to Narcissa as though his eyes were adjusting to the shift from the parchment he'd been studying to the near-darkness of the bedroom, which was lit only by the lamp on the table beside where Narcissa sat.

"I'm keeping you up," said Lucius. "I'll go to the study, and you can get some sleep. I'm sorry, my rose." Lucius moved to stand.

"No, don't, please." Narcissa slid out from under the covers and to her feet and hurried over to the chaise. "It's okay. It's just hard for me to sleep without you, that's all."

Lucius gave her a tired smile. "I'm sorry. I know I told you I'd be coming to bed soon—I thought I would. I can lie down until you fall asleep, if you like, and then finish up."

Narcissa shook her head quickly and sat down beside him. "No, I won't keep you from your work. But if I can sit here with you, I might be able to rest a bit."

Lucius nodded quickly, his smile widening. "Of course. Come here." He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned over to kiss her softly. Narcissa smiled against his lips, and at length, she pulled back to lean on his shoulder and look over at the papers.

"What're you working on?"

"Requests for donations from various Ministry departments. Bagnold seems to be too busy gallivanting with foreign dignitaries to handle the finer points of government, and Junior Minister Fudge decided to dump all of these on me at once." Lucius went on to discuss the proposals in detail, and Narcissa listened intently, nodding at intervals. She knew well how incompetent the Ministry's personnel could be and how Lucius was somehow simultaneously disgusted and enthralled by all the politics, and she couldn't help thinking that he would've done a much better job as Minister than Millicent Bagnold. Personally, Narcissa hated politics, though she was well-versed in it, and normally she might've tried to distract Lucius from the topic, but she knew that tonight—this morning, rather—he needed to get the words out of his system.

She listened as her eyelids grew heavy and the world slipped slowly out of focus, and eventually, she was somewhat aware that her head was leaning over more and beginning to slide from its spot on her husband's shoulder. _But that's all right,_ she thought, _because I'm safe in bed, aren't I? Lucius is here, so I must be._

Narcissa wasn't sure exactly when she lost consciousness or how long had passed before she awoke to the feeling of fingers running through her hair. She opened her eyes as her hands clenched on reflex, and at the sound of a grunt, she realized she'd accidentally squeezed Lucius's leg. Her head was lying in his lap, and he'd shifted his paperwork over to rest beside him on the chaise.

"I'm sorry, love," Narcissa said quickly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you. I swear I was listening."

Lucius chuckled. "It's all right. Go back to sleep, Cissy. I'm almost done working, and then I'll turn in, too."

Narcissa closed her eyes with a smile. "I don't believe you."

"I'll rest, don't worry." Lucius ran his fingers through her hair once more and then lightly traced her side. "Go back to sleep."

Under his comforting touch, Narcissa felt herself drifting off again. "Mm. I love you."

"I love you, too."


	25. Whatever your heart desires

**A/N: WARNING. Unfiltered smut ahead. If smut is not your cup of tea, the next chapter will not include it. Special thanks to my friend _justforpractice_ for writing this with me and for being a great sport about it. **

* * *

**_25\. "Whatever your heart desires..."_**

It was 14th February, 1986, and Lucius wanted to do something special for Narcissa. He'd asked his mother and sister to take Draco for the weekend so that he and Narcissa could have this time to themselves. They very seldom left their son anywhere but with themselves, but they knew Draco would be all right in the capable and protective hands of his mother and sister—they would never let anything happen to him.

The day had started off with a bouquet of white roses for Narcissa and breakfast at their favorite café in Diagon Alley. This was followed by shopping and buying her whatever her heart desired, and now that they were back, Lucius had even more surprises prepared. He had placed several candles throughout their bedroom and washroom and thrown rose petals all about. He was prepared to not only tell his wife how much he loved her but show her, as well, and as many times as her heart desired.

"Careful," said Lucius as he carefully led Narcissa into their chambers, his hands covering her eyes.

"I trust you," she said.

He used his free hand to reach into the pocket of his robes and retrieve his wand. With a flick of his wrist and a chant of " _Incendio_ ," all the candles lit at once. Lucius grinned and removed his hand from her eyes. "Surprise," he said in a low and playful whisper in her ear.

Narcissa gasped and turned around to face him, her eyes wide and adoration plain on her face. She moved closer and rested her hands on his chest, her eyes fixed on his.

"It's beautiful," she said. "Absolutely perfect. Lucius, this entire day has been indescribable." Narcissa stretched upward and touched her lips to his softly.

A soft and longing groan escaped his lips as he returned her gentle kiss, and he slid his arms around her thin frame.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done," she breathed.

"You're welcome. Anything for you, my rose," he said in a whisper as he titled his head back slightly to lock his eyes with hers. "I have a lot planned for this evening, but you have the choice of where you'd like to begin." He smiled at her playfully. "There's champagne ready for us by the sofa, or the washroom has candles and roses surrounding the bath, or our bed is ready for us, rose petals and all," said Lucius with a smirk. He did not care what she chose; all he wanted was to be with her–every single inch. "What will it be, my love?" he asked.

Lucius smiled as he watched her look around the room at all the possibilities. Narcissa ran her hands slowly up Lucius's chest and back down again, her eyes fixed on his. The feeling of her petite hands against his chest made him smile—her touch was intoxicating.

"Hmm... well, first, I'm very glad you have a lot planned, because each of those options sounds incredibly enticing and I'm thrilled that we don't have to limit ourselves to one." She bit her lip playfully. "Why don't we start with the champagne and the sofa?"

Lucius's smile grew when she answered. He'd known that would be her choice; he knew his wife and knew she'd want to savor every single moment and detail with him, and he loved her for it. "Of course. Whatever your heart desires this evening will be done," replied Lucius earnestly.

He pecked her lips and then guided her over to the sofa. He waited for her to sit down, and then he poured two glasses of champagne before taking his place next to her. He passed her a glass and then rested his hand on her thigh and gave it it a gentle squeeze. His smile began to grow as he locked his light-grey eyes on her face, admiring every single detail. She was so beautiful. _How did I get so lucky?_ He took a long drink from his glass.

"What does the lady desire? A foot rub? A massage?" asked Lucius.

"A massage sounds wonderful." Narcissa scooted slightly closer on the sofa. "The lady desires her husband's touch," she said smoothly.

Lucius did his best to suppress the shiver that tried so desperately to take over his body at the idea of his wife wanting him to touch her. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to take her at that very moment. However, he too wanted to enjoy every moment of the evening, and he would do his best to keep the hungry beast inside him at bay until just the right moment.

He leaned close to her ear. "I'll got get the lotion," he whispered. As he pulled away, he took the opportunity to nibble her ear and place a few love pecks against her neck.

Narcissa groaned softly. "I'll be waiting for you," she purred.

Lucius set his champagne glass on the table. He stood and made his way into the washroom, and he grabbed the lotion from within the cabinet. The idea of rubbing it on her bare skin and massaging her tension away sent a wave of arousal through him, and he felt his trousers tighten.

"Get ahold of yourself," he whispered firmly before making his way back into the bedroom and toward the sofa.

He stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on Narcissa. She wore a deep-red corset cut low enough to reveal a fair amount of her cleavage and black lace panties. Her dress was draped over the back of the sofa, and her ankles were crossed, her champagne glass raised to her lips. Lucius gulped. His heart was pounding profusely against his ribs at the sight of her—her perfectly toned legs, her perfect curves, her perfectly rounded breasts, her perfect golden-blonde hair, and those perfect bright-blue eyes. He took in a breath and casually strode over to retake his seat beside her, and he leaned in close to her ear once more.

"You play quite unfairly, Lady Malfoy," he whispered before pulling away and grinning to himself. He shifted his body to face her and then pulled her gently back against his chest. His heart was still pounding so quickly that he was certain she could feel it against her skin.

"Would you rather I played fairly?" she teased.

Lucius opened the lotion bottle, squirted some into his palm, set the bottle aside, and rubbed his hands together. He craned his neck just so and began to place a few nibbles against hers while he massaged his lotion-covered hands slowly up her arms and toward her shoulders before moving them down toward her chest and on to her cleavage. A grin slipped onto Lucius's lips at the sound of several pleasure-filled moans leaving Narcissa's mouth.

"Ohh... Feels wonderful," she said, her voice breathy and full of desire and her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Eventually, he began to work his hands in the opposite direction, bringing them up to her shoulders and down her arms until he reached her hands. He made sure to use the right amount of pressure to release any tension lurking within her muscles as he worked and repeated the process several times, and her moans continued. He was thrilled that his touch could cause such sounds of pleasure to erupt from her lungs, and he was enjoying her reactions so greatly that he needed more of her. He moved his fingers down toward the laces of her corset, where he began to undo the tie that would allow him to remove the garment from her body. After he untied the ribbon, he pulled the fabric apart and worked it off of her body and dropped it to the floor. Lucius pulled his wife's body closer to him and resumed his massages up her arms, toward her shoulders, and down toward her chest, repeating his motions several times.

"To answer your question, no, I don't mind, because playing unfairly helped me get closer to you sooner," he whispered in her ear.

"I always want you close to me," Narcissa muttered, shivering. "Do you want champagne, my love?" She held her glass back toward him.

Lucius found his grin widening even more as a wave of pride filled him—he had succeeded in seducing his wife, he was rather proud of himself. However, he then frowned and mentally kicked himself; he wasn't certain whether her shiver had been one of arousal or due to the February air, and he hoped it had not been the latter. He leaned back slightly and quickly unbuttoned his shirt, pulling the unwanted fabric off and throwing it to the floor before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her as close to his chest as humanly possible.

"All I want is you," he breathed against her neck as he placed a soft kiss against her skin. He took the champagne glass off her hands and placed it on the coffee table without allowing too much space to grow between them. He had no intention of allowing her to become cold. His arms encircled her once again.

Narcissa moaned softly and scooted back onto his lap, laying her arms on top of his and squeezing his hands. "I want you so badly," she groaned.

Lucius grinned. She'd given him permission, and he had full intention of taking it— _her_. "Then you shall have me," he whispered in her ear.

He began tugging on her earlobe before moving his nibbles down her neck, leaving evidence on her skin that he'd been there. He hated leaving marks on her that could be visible to others, but luckily, magic could take care of that, and he decided that he would heal them later. Right now, he intended to enjoy every single bit of his extremely attractive wife. Lucius pulled himself away from her for a moment to remove the rest of his clothing and then slide off her undergarments. He then positioned himself on top of her on the couch, his naked body pressed against hers, which was covered only by one remaining item of clothing. He continued his gentle nibbles down her chest and toward her breasts while his hands moved slowly down her body, toward her panties. She twisted one hand into his hair as the other ran slowly along his bare shoulders and chest, and she groaned and panted as his lips and hands moved downward, twisting a bit beneath him.

"Yes," Narcissa muttered through her unsteady breaths. "You're so... Mm..."

Lucius grinned at the sound of her noises, and he found himself aching for her as he felt his length brush up against the soft skin of her thigh.

Narcissa groaned.

He slid her panties off of her, throwing them on the floor before returning his focus to her face. He pressed his lips to hers hers, grabbed her hips, and pushed himself inside her, finding himself overwhelmed by the feeling and thoroughly enjoying the sound of her moan as he entered.

"I love you," he breathed between kisses.

She kissed him back heatedly, tugging on his lips at intervals. "I love you," she whispered in return. Her hands tightened on him as she rocked her hips toward him in time with his thrusts.

Lucius grunted loudly as he moved in deeper. His motions had started off at a normal pace, but instead of speeding up, he decided to slow down, making them more intense with each thrust. Narcissa's moans grew more intense and frequent with each moment that passed, and as he felt the hunger of each of her kisses, Lucius intensified his own.

Her hand moved slowly down his back, and he couldn't contain the groan of pleasure that erupted from his lungs as her fingernails began digging into his skin. He rather enjoyed seeing the rougher side of Narcissa come out in the bedroom. He was finding it hard not to quicken his pace, and after several more slow thrusts, he began to speed up, and his motions became shorter and more forceful. Meanwhile, he continued to tug hard on her lips, and he eventually slid his tongue past them to hungrily search her mouth.

He lost track of how long passed before he felt her body embrace him tightly as she let out a rough groan.

A noise of absolute pride erupted from Lucius's lungs, and the feeling of victory shot through his veins. He could feel himself reaching the end of his self-control, as well, and after a few more forceful thrusts, he finished inside of her, absolute pleasure coursing through him. He slowed his movements down and slid out of her, and he felt her hand drifting along his back, her motions gentle once again.

After catching his breath, he rolled off of her slightly, leaving one of his thighs still between her legs, and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her body close to his and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose, and finally, he left a soft peck upon her perfect lips.

"I can't describe how much I love you," Narcissa said quietly, looking up at him as her breathing returned slowly to its normal rhythm.

Lucius found himself getting lost in her eyes as they stared into his, and he let out a satisfied sigh at her words. "And my love for you is endless," he replied. He brought his hand up to her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone softly. The feeling of her warm body pressed against him and her blue eyes staring back at him and her words of love toward him reminded Lucius just how truly lucky he was. After everything they'd been through—with the Dark Lord and with their own personal matters—he was happy to know that he still had her at the end of it all. "Happy Valentine's Day, my sweet rose," he said in a low whisper as he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.


	26. I know

**A/N: These scenes are originally from one of my oneshots. Warning for miscarriage/stillbirth.**

* * *

 _ **26\. "I know."**_

"Daddy, why're there little girls' clothes in the closet in one of the bedrooms upstairs?"

Lucius frowned, lowering his copy of _The Daily Prophet_ enough to look at his seven-year-old son, who was poking at the toast resting on his breakfast plate with a fork.

"Have you been exploring again, Draco?" Forgetting the entirety of the article he had been reading as he set his paper aside, Lucius watched his son closely, trying to determine what the boy was feeling.

"I was bored." Draco shrugged and poked at the toast's crust, his grey eyes looking up to meet the ones they matched. "Why are they there?"

Lucius sighed, reaching out to lay his hand over Draco's with a very sad smile. "We'll talk about it when you're older, little one. Please don't mention it to your mum, okay?"

* * *

"Cissy? Are you in there?"

Lucius followed the sound of boxes shifting into the spare bedroom on the second floor that had been intended for the twins, and he found his wife sitting on the floor beside the nearly-empty closet. He froze for a moment, and as soon as he could make his legs work again, he moved over to sit down beside her.

"Draco asked you, didn't he?"

Narcissa nodded, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. "I knew he would, one of these days. He's so curious about the house—about everything, really. And we should've done this a long time ago. I just… couldn't."

"I know." He reached out to take her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it softly. "How can I help?"


	27. It's the truth

_**A/N: This is a POV-switched embellishment of "You'll Be In My Heart" with added cameos by the Black sisters and Slughorn.**_

* * *

 _ **27\. "It's the truth."**_

"Draco?"

Narcissa watched as the boy jumped. She stood in the doorway to his room, and he'd been staring at the trunk lying on his bed, his hand hovering over its latch.

She knew he was struggling with the idea of leaving home for Hogwarts. He'd never been away from her and Lucius for more than a week at a time, and Narcissa wasn't thrilled about the idea of their boy being away from home for the whole term.

* * *

" _Do we have to leave him?"_

 _Narcissa felt that she was pouting, and she knew how undignified that was, but she couldn't quite manage to pull herself together. Draco had never been away from her for longer than a night's sleep, and though she knew she would have to deal with longer separations sooner or later, she still didn't feel prepared._

 _Lucius smiled softly and rested his hand against her cheek, tracing her skin with his thumb. "If you want to go on the trip, my rose, then yes. But if you want to stay home, we absolutely can. I'll cancel the reservation."_

 _Not an ounce of anger was written on his face, and the love and understanding in his eyes made her heart ache. Though she was highly reluctant to leave their year-old son for so long, even in her sister's care, she couldn't ask her husband to take back the gift of the trip he'd been planning for their anniversary._

" _We'll just have to take him somewhere when we get home to make it up to him," she said with a slight smile._

" _We will." Lucius slid an arm around her waist, resting his hand against the small of her back. "I promise."_

* * *

Draco turned toward the door, his expression guarded.

"Are you nearly finished?" asked Narcissa. "Do you need help with anything?"

"I'm fine," said Draco flatly, shaking his head. In his eyes, Narcissa saw an apprehension deeper than any he'd shown before.

She frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

Narcissa sighed. She stepped forward and closed the distance between herself and her son, sitting down at the edge of his bed in front of where he'd lain his trunk and patting the spot on the blankets beside her. Draco lowered his gaze as he sat, and Narcissa's heart ached at the sight of her son's pain. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him as close to her as she could.

"Tell me," she said.

Draco hesitated.

"Will you be angry if I'm not Sorted into Slytherin?" he asked at last.

* * *

 _She glanced up at the Slytherin table nervously; everyone there was watching her, including her sisters. Bellatrix's expression was expectant, and Andromeda's was neutral, encouraging. Narcissa hoped at least one of her sisters wouldn't be upset with her if she failed._

 _She felt the slight pressure of the Sorting Hat being placed upon her head, and she closed her eyes, silently begging it not to mark her as different from the rest of her family._

* * *

Narcissa's frown deepened. "What?" When he looked up at her, she tightened her arm around him. "Of course not," she said. "Draco, I'm not going to be angry with you no matter what happens tomorrow." She leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. "You're my son. I will love you and be proud of you no matter what that hat says."

Draco smiled a bit sheepishly.

"And besides," Narcissa continued, "there were a few people I've known in Slytherin that I would've much rather seen in another House so I could've avoided them altogether. Not everyone in the House was the most pleasant, and you're a far better person than quite a few of them."

"Like who?" asked Draco, raising a brow.

"Well, I never particularly liked Alecto or Amycus Carrow. Don't get me started on Thorfinn Rowle." Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Fenrir Greyback was… problematic, to say the least. And our Head of House was Professor Slughorn, and while he was always kind to us, he was also a bit absent-minded, at times. He was known to take too strong of an interest in the students and our families—it was fairly embarrassing to show up late to a lesson because he felt like questioning you about how everyone you're even distantly related to is doing." Narcissa shook her head, starting to smile. "It was impressive, though, I have to admit. I've never met anyone else with his ability to memorize family trees."

"Will I meet him?" asked Draco.

"He's retired, now, but perhaps we'll introduce you, one day. He's bound to show up at one dinner party or another."

"Who's that?"

Narcissa looked to the doorway to find her husband watching them with a grin.

"Slughorn," she said.

Lucius nodded understanding. "I'm surprised he didn't show up on the doorstep when he heard you were born, actually," he said, looking to Draco. "Merlin only knows he'd been telling people how excited he was to see us marry for years. You know, even before we'd decided to."

* * *

" _Ah, Malfoy! Black!"_

 _Narcissa leaned forward slightly over the Slytherin table when she felt Professor Slughorn's hand on her shoulder. She glanced to Lucius out of the corner of her eye, and she tried not to smile when she saw his startled expression and their professor's other hand on his back._

" _I always said two such noble houses would unite eventually," said Slughorn excitedly. "Made a bet with your grandfather, I did, Lucius. Perhaps I should go collecting." Slughorn chuckled._

" _Professor," Lucius began slowly, "we've… only just started courting."_

 _His foot brushed Narcissa's beneath the table, and she understood; he was trying to downplay the extent of their relationship to keep Slughorn from inadvertently reporting to their parents in his excitement to spread the news of their blossoming romance._

" _Ah, perhaps," said Slughorn with a chuckle, "but it's only a matter of time, isn't it?"_

 _He patted them both on the back and strode off, and Narcissa couldn't keep away a smile. Slughorn might've been wrong about other things, but she knew he was right about this._

* * *

"Before we'd announced it, anyway," she said, watching Lucius with unconcealed admiration. "It wasn't exactly a secret that it was probably going to happen."

Lucius chuckled. "No, not at all. Supper's ready, by the way."

"We'll be there in just a moment." She smiled at him.

Lucius glanced to Draco and nodded. "Don't take too long—if it gets cold, I'll have to feed it to the peacocks." He started off down the hall, and Draco looked up at his mother with wide eyes.

"He's only teasing," said Narcissa, trying hard not to laugh.

"He'd better be," Draco muttered.

Narcissa gave him a squeeze with the arm still wrapped around his back. "Is anything else troubling you, love?"

Draco shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know. I just… I'll be new to all of these classes, and…" He sighed. "I don't want to disappoint you two," he mumbled.

Narcissa rested her hand on Draco's cheek and gently guided his face until his gaze met hers. "Draco Lucius Malfoy," she said firmly, "listen to me. You could never disappoint us. Never. I want you to walk into that school tomorrow with your head high and know that no matter what happens—even if you fail all your lessons or get expelled for being more handsome than all the other boys—we will always be proud of you and be there for you, whether you want us to or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mum." Tears glistened in Draco's eyes, and he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Thank you."

Narcissa leaned down to kiss his hair as she held him. "It's the truth. Now let's go eat supper. I know your father wants to see you before you leave."

Draco nodded, and Narcissa took his hand as they stood. She led him into the corridor, making a mental vow to write him daily when he reached Hogwarts and ensure he knew that he was very, very loved.


	28. Let people talk

**_28\. "Let people talk."_**

Lucius stared at the wall of the lounge with an intensity that would've likely melted a hole in the paneling, if he watched it for much longer. He'd been sitting rigidly watching the same spot since he'd returned from Hogwarts, and he was no closer to moving now than he had been twenty minutes ago when Narcissa had left the room after his explanation of why their house-elf would not be returning to Malfoy Manor.

 _We're going to be ridiculed. That's it—there's no getting around it. No respectable Pureblood family goes without an elf. If it weren't for that blasted Potter and his insistence on meddling in absolutely everything…_ Even as he thought the words, Lucius knew he couldn't entirely blame the situation on the boy. Had Lucius not lost his temper with Arthur Weasley that day in Flourish and Blotts and gotten into a physical altercation, the diary never would've ended up at the school. After his stop at Borgin and Burkes, Lucius had been planning to deposit the item the Dark Lord had entrusted to him years earlier in his own vault at Gringotts. He hadn't wanted to sell it along with the other items he'd wanted removed from the Manor; whatever reason the Dark Lord had had for giving it to him, Lucius hadn't felt right getting rid of the diary entirely even now that his master was long gone, but he'd known he couldn't have it lying about when the Ministry followed Weasley's prodding and decided to come snooping about Lucius's home.

He hadn't anticipated being knocked into a bookshelf and losing the diary from beneath his cloak, only to discover later that Weasley's daughter had picked it up and unleashed a firestorm on the school, endangering the life of Lucius's son as well as every other student. Lucius had done everything within his power to remove Albus Dumbledore from control of the situation in favor of putting someone in charge who was competent enough to undo what Lucius had accidentally set into motion, but it had only resulted in his own removal from the Hogwarts Board of Governors and subsequent embarrassment.

He hadn't thought he could possibly feel worse. Then he'd lost the house-elf who had served his family since Lucius's childhood.

"Come on."

He jumped at the brush of lips against his cheek and the feeling of his cloak being draped over his shoulders. He turned his head to see Narcissa leaning over the back of the chair, a devious glint in her eyes.

"Where?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm getting you out of the house. I hate seeing you upset, and I'm not going to allow it."

Lucius sighed. "Narcissa, I really don't think—"

"No arguments," she said firmly. She ran her fingertips down his arm and slipped her hand through his, giving it a pull. He stood somewhat stiffly and turned to face her. "We're going out to supper, and then we're going dancing. I'm going to distract you, and that's that."

Despite his sour mood, he started to crack a smile. Still, his tone was cautious, when he spoke. "Explain to me why you don't seem angry."

Narcissa took a step closer, looking up into her husband's eyes. "Because I understand that sometimes things are out of our control. I know you didn't intend for any of this to happen. Am I a bit frustrated that we're without an elf? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's you I'm frustrated with. And let people talk—they always have, and they always will, no matter what we do. They'll shut up about this particular problem when we find a replacement. They're irrelevant. You, on the other hand, are not, and you've given yourself enough trouble for the both of us." She leaned up to kiss him softly. He smiled against her lips, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and thinking for what was likely the millionth time of how lucky he was to have her.


	29. Did you do this on purpose

_**A/N: I'm doing the dialogue drabble challenge on tumblr, and some of those will be featured here. This one was requested by becky22yj. Thank you for the prompt!**_

* * *

 _ **29\. "Did you do this on purpose?!"**_

Narcissa sat at the end of the chaise, rubbing her temple as she stared at the carpet of the study. "You know Fudge doesn't deserve your time," she said with a sigh. "He's just using your for your money, and I don't understand why you put up with him. You could find other ways to win the influence you need to become Minister."

"He's the most efficient way," said Lucius, finishing the line he'd been writing and setting his quill aside before shifting his paper to the top of the stack at the edge of his desk. "At this point, he expects my donations. If they stop, he's just going to pester me until I help him."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "He's ridiculous."

"I know, Cissy."

Lucius stood from his desk chair and stretched, and Narcissa heard his back crack from where she sat. She knew he'd been sitting for the better part of an hour, and she hated to see him waste so much effort on someone who clearly didn't deserve it.

"I'll be right back," said Lucius. "I need to find my cloak." He pushed himself to his feet and made his way toward the door, pausing to kiss the top of her head as he passed.

As soon as she was alone, Narcissa stood and strode quickly over to the desk. She glanced over her shoulder and then back to the papers in front of her, her lips twitching up into a smirk.

She swept Lucius's glass of bourbon onto its side, knocking its contents onto Fudge's request for a donation to fund a new wing at the Ministry, and then she rushed back to the chaise and crossed her ankles elegantly as she draped her arm over the seat's edge as though it were her throne.

A few moments later, Lucius returned, his traveling cloak draped over his arm. His footsteps halted beside where she sat, and she heard his breath hitch.

"What in Merlin's name—?"

He ran to the desk and shifted the glass away from the papers, and when he picked up the stack, Narcissa saw that they were soaked through completely.

Lucius turned to her, his grey eyes wide. "Did you do this on purpose?!"

Narcissa bit her lip, working hard to restrain herself from laughing. Lucius evidently realized as much, as he dropped into his chair once again and lowered his head into his hand.

Narcissa caught a glimpse of a smile threatening the edges of his lips.


	30. Everything is fine

_**30\. "Everything is fine."**_

The late-afternoon light streaming in through the drawing room curtains and the purring cat lying in Narcissa's lap were highly comforting, and they'd nearly managed to lull her to sleep despite her efforts to focus on the book resting beside her on the chaise. She stroked Artemis absently with one hand when she wasn't using it to turn pages and rested her head on the other, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open the longer she sat still.

"Mum!"

She blinked the room back into focus and lifted her head as Draco made his way into the drawing room and paused in front of her. His grey eyes were wide and expectant.

"What is it, love?" asked Narcissa. She ran a hand over the head of the cat, who had looked up at the sudden noise.

"Can I go to Theo's? His parents said it's fine. Please? He's loads better company than Crabbe and Goyle, and he wants me to stay for the weekend, and now that I'm home for the summer, I promise I'll still be here a lot. Please, Mum? Dad doesn't mind, but he wanted me to ask you."

Narcissa couldn't hold back a smile. The sight of her thirteen-year-old son's excitement warmed her heart, and she was thrilled that he was making better friends. She had nothing against Vincent and Gregory on a personal level, but they seemed vastly inferior to Draco in intelligence, and she and Lucius were much closer with the Notts than either the Crabbes or the Goyles. Lucius and Ryan had been close since Hogwarts—Narcissa tried hard not to think about the missions and tasks for the Dark Lord that had kept them in one another's company afterward. Odette, Theo's mother, was one of a small handful of friends Narcissa was still in contact with from her schooling and had served as a Healer to their family on many occasions.

The idea that Lucius had instructed Draco to ask for his mother's permission led her smile to widen. Even after so many years together, Narcissa was still awed by her husband's respect for her opinion. It was such a welcome change from her home life before their marriage, and each time something like this happened, she was reminded of how very lucky she was to have left a family that didn't see her value for one that did.

"Of course you can go, my dragon. Tell Theo I say hello." Narcissa held out her arm, and Draco rushed forward with a bright grin and embraced her.

"I will. Thanks, Mum." He kissed her cheek and hurried from the room.

Narcissa laughed softly and returned to her reading. Shortly thereafter, she heard another pair of footsteps approaching, and when she felt a hand rest on each of her shoulders and begin massaging, she let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes.

"Draco was so excited," she said quietly.

"He was. I love to see it."

Narcissa felt the brush of Lucius's lips against her cheek, and her smile returned. "Sit by me?"

He rubbed her shoulders for a moment more and then released them, making his way around the chaise and settling onto it beside her. She leaned close to steal a kiss.

"Everything's going to be fine," she muttered as her fingertips traced his jaw. "He doesn't seem bothered by what happened at school. He's just glad for a break."

"I'm sure he is." Lucius sighed and slid his arm around her waist, resting his hand on the small of her back. "But I can't imagine he's not bothered by all of it. They were all running our name through the mud, flinging accusations—"

"That had no basis in fact whatsoever." Narcissa shook her head. "Draco had nothing to do with the attacks. _You_ had nothing to do with any of it, the last time or this one."

"If I hadn't—"

"There's no way you could've known that you were going to get knocked into a shelf and drop the blasted book. You need to stop blaming yourself. Everyone is fine. Everything is fine."

Lucius was silent, and Narcissa knew he was trying to do as she said but that he was unlikely to succeed. This was a struggle that wouldn't stop plaguing him anytime soon. Until she could think of a better way to persuade him, she could only distract him with more pleasant matters.

"We still need to decide what to do for his birthday," she said as she leaned in to kiss her husband's cheek. "I hate that he had to be at school for it."

Lucius nodded and tucked a lock of hair behind Narcissa's ear. "As do I. Perhaps when he returns from the Notts', we can take him on a trip somewhere else. We've been talking about Rome for quite a while."

Narcissa caught her breath and sat up straighter, and Artemis flicked her tail in agitation.

"Really?"

"Of course. I think getting away for a while would be good for all of us," said Lucius, starting to smile.

Narcissa kissed him gently. "I think you're absolutely right."


	31. This is unacceptable

_**31\. "This is unacceptable."**_

Lucius was certain that if he held much more tightly to the letter in his hand, it would crumple beyond repair, but he couldn't bring himself to release it. He glared at the parchment.

 _Attacked by a hippogriff? How could the school be so damned irresponsible? Does Dumbledore have no sense of reason left at all?_

Lucius scoffed. He doubted the Headmaster had ever held a shred of good judgment, and the oversight that had led to Draco's injury at the hands of a creature permitted to be too near the students by that oaf of a half-giant was simply the latest affront in a series that had begun when Lucius's father had attended Hogwarts.

"What's the matter, darling?"

He blinked and looked up at the touch of a hand on his shoulder, and he let out a long sigh, forcing his grip on the parchment to relax enough to allow him to pass it to Narcissa. She settled onto the arm of his chair. Lucius slid an arm around her waist as he watched her gaze travel along the letter from their son. Narcissa's eyes widened, and Lucius's stomach turned. He held her tighter as she looked to him in panic.

"This is unacceptable," she said with a tight shake of her head. "Is he all right? Can we go and see him? Lucius, that Hagrid should be removed! Someone like that shouldn't be allowed to—"

"I know, Cissy."

"Someone irresponsible enough to let such a dangerous creature near _children_ —" Narcissa huffed and leaned her cheek against the top of Lucius's head. "We need to see Draco and find out how badly he's hurt."

Lucius pulled his wife gently into his lap and kissed her cheek. "We'll make sure he's all right," he muttered. He fought hard to keep his anger at bay, though he felt it bubbling within him more fiercely the longer he considered the situation. Of all students, why Draco? Was this some kind of punishment for what had transpired the previous year? Was Dumbledore turning a blind eye to Draco's endangerment on purpose to spite Lucius?

"It isn't fair," Narcissa mumbled. "I'm going to find that 'professor' myself and ensure that he knows our son is not to be mistreated."

Despite the terrible situation, Lucius couldn't keep his lips from twitching upward with pride. He knew how Narcissa detested violence, but the edge to her tone suggested she'd be willing to instigate it for the good of their son, and Lucius adored her protectiveness.

 _We have to do something,_ he thought. _If I can't get rid of Dumbledore, I'll take care of the half-giant, and I'll make sure that bird isn't allowed near Draco again._

"I'll speak with Fudge," he said at last. "I won't allow this to go unpunished, I promise you."


	32. Happy birthday, Luc

_**A/N: In honor of December 27 being Lucius's birthday in my canon, have some very inappropriate festivities. Rated M for a lemon.**_

* * *

 _ **32\. "Happy birthday, Luc."**_

 _Of course Fudge would let the meeting run over on my birthday. Of course._

The Manor was dark as Lucius trudged through the hallway, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He'd been planning to take Narcissa out to dinner, and he could only imagine how frustrated she would be that the Ministry had robbed them of another celebration.

He pushed open the bedroom door and froze. He surveyed the room and took in the low lighting and the two glasses sitting beside the bottle of chardonnay on the dresser, and then his eyes fell on Narcissa. She wore only the black lace lingerie he'd bought her a few days earlier and her satin robe and stockings and heels, and she sat on the chaise with an arm resting over its back, her hair hanging loose around her shoulders. As Lucius admired the way the robe clung to her curves through her corset, he slipped off his cloak and let it drop to the floor, a smile twisting his lips.

"Evening, _ma fleur._ "

Narcissa stood and started toward him, and he watched her move, taking in every twist of her hips.

"Good evening, darling," she said smoothly. "How was work?"

"I've already forgotten."

"Good. Then I'm doing my job." With a smile, Narcissa paused at his side. She laid her hands on his shoulders and began to rub them.

Lucius sighed contentedly under her touch as he slid his arms around her and pulled her close. "You're very good at it."

"You think so?" Narcissa leaned up to kiss him softly.

"You look gorgeous, my rose," he mumbled against her lips as his hands traced her waist.

She laughed softly. "Thank you, sweetheart." She rubbed his shoulders and down to his chest, flicking open the buttons at the top of his shirt as she went. "Mm…" Her lips drifted along his jaw. "I missed you."

Lucius let out a soft groan, his hands tightening on her waist. "I missed you, too. Terribly."

"Do you want some wine?" Narcissa muttered. "I brought up your favorite. Happy birthday, Luc." She nipped at his neck just below his jaw.

With a smile, Lucius trailed his fingertips along her hips. "I'd love some, thank you. But let me get it. You can get comfortable."

"If that's what you want, my darling." She nipped at his skin once more and then turned away, sashaying toward the chaise, and his eyes drank her in as he reached out to give her rear a light squeeze before she was out of range.

"What I want is you." Lucius grabbed the bottle from the dresser, popped it open, and poured them each a glass quickly before joining Narcissa on the chaise. He couldn't hold back a smile—he recognized the look in her eyes that meant she was mentally undressing him.

"And I want you," she said, her lips curling into a smile as she took the glass he offered.

"Then I see this evening being very… _pleasurable_ for both of us," Lucius purred. His eyes drifted over her body, which was hugged so tightly by her corset and other barely existent items of clothing.

Narcissa shivered. "I think you're right." She lifted the glass toward her mouth.

At the last moment, Lucius reached for Narcissa's glass and pulled it just out of her reach. "Ah, ah." He shook his head. "You'll have to pay me, first."

She raised a brow, letting her hand fall to his knee and skimming it slowly up his thigh. "Pay, my love?"

"Mhm. Come here." Lucius leaned in, setting his own glass aside on the nearby table and raising his newly freed hand to her cheek as he brought his lips to hers.

Narcissa smiled against his mouth and kissed him deeply, and at length, she pulled back, her eyes still closed. "How was that?" she breathed.

Lucius chuckled softly. "Perfect. Worth a drink, if you like." He lifted the glass to her lips, and she took a sip before resting her hand against his cheek and tracing it with her thumb.

"Hm… how about this?" she asked. She closed the distance between them to kiss him again—harder, this time. Her lips moved against his with unrestrained passion, and he kissed her back hungrily, squeezing the glass and cupping her jaw with his other hand. When he eventually pulled back, both of them were breathless.

"That," he said lowly, "was worth the whole damn glass."

Narcissa let out a breathy laugh. Her slim fingers closed around the glass of chardonnay, and she took another sip before setting it on the table without a further glance.

"Forget the drink." She gave his thigh a squeeze as she slid her other hand down his chest to rest on his other leg and climbed onto his lap. "What do I have to pay to get you, instead?"

Lucius pulled her close, his hands gripping her waist. "Why don't you surprise me? I'm quite sure I'll like it." He leaned forward to kiss her hard, sliding one hand slowly up her back. Narcissa's fingers grazed his inner thighs through his trousers, and he growled low in his throat as he gave her rear a squeeze. A soft moan worked its way from her mouth. His teeth tugged at her lip, and she groaned as he kissed down to her jaw.

As she finished unbuttoning his shirt and skimmed her fingertips along the muscles of his chest, he couldn't hold back a shiver. His hand crept beneath her robe to trace up the back of her corset as he nibbled at her neck.

"I want you," he breathed against her warm skin.

Narcissa let out another quiet moan and began to rub him through his trousers.

"Well, I need you," she whispered.

Lucius's breath caught in his throat—he hadn't processed exactly how aroused he'd become until he found himself bucking toward her touch.

"Narcissa," he growled.

Her hand slipped beneath his waistband and into his undergarments to stroke him. "Lucius?" she purred.

He let out a rough groan, pulling her hand away before ripping off her robe and letting it fall to the carpet. In one fluid motion, he flipped their positions to lay her on the chaise and climb over her, eyeing her like a lion watching a gazelle.

"I love it when you're feeling like this." He didn't bother to hide the need in his tone or in his eyes as he stared down into hers.

Narcissa bit her lip playfully. "Feeling like what, my love?" She ran her hands up and down his torso beneath his shirt and pushed it back off his shoulders.

"You tell me." His voice rumbled in his chest, and he was half-certain his heart would pound free of his ribs as he leaned in to kiss along her jaw and dropped his body to press against hers. His hips met hers firmly.

She moaned, her head rolling backward as she clung to his shoulders. "Oh… darling… I need you so badly."

Lucius grinned against her skin and worked his lips along her neck for a moment longer before speaking. "Do you?" He rubbed against her more firmly, fighting to ignore how greatly he was straining against his trousers.

" _Yes!_ " Narcissa cried. Her nails bit into his back as she wrapped her legs around him and pressed her hips harder against his. "Lucius… mm, I need you in me."

"You've no idea… how much… I enjoy it…" he muttered into her neck between kisses and gentle bites. "…when I come home to this… to you, like this. Or at all, actually…" He slid a hand beneath her, his fingers slipping between her legs to rub her clit through her knickers. "You always… excite me so quickly. But _oh,_ Narcissa… when you're already… so desperate… Mm…" He could feel how wet she was through the thin material, and how much of that was in response to his own arousal and how much had started before it, he didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't stop thinking about having her.

Narcissa let out a sharp groan. "I am! I need you so much…"

"You'll have me." Lucius kissed her hungrily as he began working open her corset. He hurried with her laces and pulled the item from her body, dropping it over the side of the chaise without breaking his lips from hers. He rain his hands along her bare waist, squeezing and caressing her skin.

She ground her hips against his. With a moan into her skin, he bit down on her collarbone as his hands squeezed her waist. Narcissa cried out, and Lucius muttered an apology before kissing her forcefully once more as he worked her undergarments slowly down over her hips. He felt her fingers working deftly to open his trousers, and as he discarded her knickers, she gave the waistband of his pants a swift tug.

"So very impatient," Lucius teased. He shed his trousers and pants and tossed them to the floor.

"Can you blame me?" Narcissa asked breathlessly.

"Only if you can blame me for being just as eager." He pressed his hips forward, and he groaned as his length brushed against her thigh.

She bit her lip in a vain attempt to stifle her moan. "Take me, darling," she insisted. "Right here. Take me."

Lucius let out a growl. Were he more in control of his thoughts at the moment, he might've asked if she was certain she didn't want to move to the bed, but from where he hovered over her, she seemed pretty damned certain. He ran his hands along her legs, not bothering with removing her stockings or heels, and he kissed her fiercely as he slid into her and began to move. Narcissa groaned into his mouth and rocked upward to meet him.

 _Dear gods, I couldn't ask for a better end to this day,_ he thought as he sped up his thrusts and gave her breast a squeeze. He felt her legs wind around him once again, and he braced himself with an arm resting beside her head as his other hand rubbed and caressed her breasts in turn.

"Cissy," he breathed against her lips.

"Ohh—Lucius—"

With each passing moment, their breathing grew louder, and he reveled in the feeling of her body so tight around him as he rocked. He never tired of it, never found he could have enough of her.

"I love you," Narcissa muttered.

"I love—you, too," Lucius ground out, struggling to keep moving past the pleasure threatening to consume him but determined to ensure she reached climax first. He released her breast to grip the back of the chaise in an attempt to steady himself.

All at once, Narcissa let out a loud cry as she tightened around him. Lucius reached backward to hold her leg and keep at least one of her heels from scraping him if her legs began to fall. He moved quickly with gritted teeth to draw out her pleasure until he could hold on no longer and came within her with a sharp groan. He paused, trying desperately to catch his breath.

Narcissa let out a soft sigh. "Lucius…"

"Hm?" He kissed her softly and gave her calf a squeeze.

"I love you. And happy birthday."

"Thank you, Cissy. And I love you so much." He kissed her softly, all worries related to Ministry business far from his mind. All he could think about was the woman in his arms as he dropped down beside her and pulled her to his chest. "So, so much."


	33. I can't believe you

_**A/N: From the tumblr dialogue prompt challenge.**_

* * *

 _ **33\. "I can't believe you!"**_

The sound of paper slamming against the dark wooden table hit Lucius's ears like an explosion. He didn't glance down at it; he'd already seen the moving photograph of the Dark Mark in the sky above the Quidditch World Cup campsite as soon as he'd entered the bedroom to find Narcissa holding the _Prophet_ 's latest issue. He didn't tear his eyes away from hers, which were swimming with unshed tears. The puffiness around them suggested she'd already wept enough, this evening.

"I can't believe you!" Her voice was strained and very nearly hoarse, and Lucius suspected she'd spent quite a bit of the time since they'd had to separate at the campsite sobbing.

 _It's just like it was back then,_ he thought, a sickening wave of self-loathing rolling through his stomach. _It's like we never moved forward._

"Cissy, I didn't want to be involved. You know I don't want any of this starting again." Lucius sighed. He reached out to cup her jaw, his touch gentle. He wasn't certain whether she would want him to touch her, right now, and he was prepared to withdraw if needed.

Narcissa did not pull back. Instead, she closed her eyes and drew a long breath, her shoulders quaking.

"Why didn't you just come home with us?" she whispered.

Lucius's heart ached at the pain evident in the downward twist of her lips. "I'm sorry," he muttered as his thumb traced her cheek. "I should have. I didn't know how bad things were going to get—I didn't know someone was going to conjure the Mark. I didn't know they were going to kill anyone, Narcissa. I swear to you."

She opened her eyes and watched him silently for a moment, opened her mouth, and shut it again as she leaned against him and buried her face in the front of his robes. He slid his arms around her waist.

"I'm glad you're all right," she said softly. "Please, please don't go with them again."

Lucius rested his chin against her hair and let out a sigh. "You know I may not have a choice." He tightened his grip on her, trying not to think about the serpentine symbol on his forearm that had recently begun to burn again.

Silence filled the room. Lucius hated the thought of how much pain Narcissa had to be in; he knew how relieved she'd been when the Dark Lord had fallen and how devastated she'd been when he'd shown her that the Dark Mark had begun to reappear.

"I know," she said at last.

He pulled her over to the chaise and into his arms, where he held her even after she gave in to sleep.


End file.
